Centre Wellington Mayor Kelly Linton is pleased with last week’s meeting with Glen Murray, Minister of Environment and Climate Change at Queen’s Park.
Linton along with Centre Wellington CAO Andy Goldie, managing director of infrastructure Colin Baker and township hydrologist Ray Blackport were joined by Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott to meet with the minister and staff to discuss Nestlé’s water taking permit and acquisition.
Main discussion points for the township included:
– community concerns about the potential negative impacts of consumptive water taking;
– growth predictions from the county to approximately 50,000 by 2041. The township sought assurance by the ministry that Nestlé demonstrate no negative long-term impacts on the municipality’s water supply;
– ensuring the municipality receives all of the data required from the tests to benefit its own long-term water planning;
– protection for existing wells (private and municipal) through detailed well protection agreements; and
– agreement that the MOECC will review the Nestlé permit to take water to ensure Nestlé Waters is not reserving capacity that they do not need from a bottled water production perspective.
“The matter involving Nestlé Water’s potential water taking activities on the Middlebrook Road site has evoked numerous emotions throughout the community,” said Linton.
“We are proactively seeking assurance for the long-term protection of our water supply in regards to quality and quantity to meet our future growth requirements. We are confident that the meeting has strengthened the two-way communication between the township and the MOECC minister and his staff. The MOECC is making this a priority and will work with us during the entire process.”
Nestlé Water is currently undergoing a due diligence phase in assessing the water quality and quantity of the onsite well as part of its assessment to purchase the site and seeking approval from the MOECC for a new water taking permit to support its current operations in Aberfoyle. Nestlé Water has advised the township that the decision regarding the property acquisition and water taking permit will take place in 2016 based on the current due diligence work plan.
The authority to take water is regulated and managed solely by the MOECC and is regulated under the Ontario Water Resources Act. The township has no authority in regard to water taking and has to undergo the same water taking application approvals from the MOECC for the municipal water supply.
Application online
The Environmental Registry for the Nestlé Permit To Take Water (PTTW) pumping test application can be found by clicking on the web link below: http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTI1Nzk0&statusId=MTg5NDk3&language=en.
