Ontario Will Review Water Taking Rules And Proposes A Related Moratorium

The Ontario Government responds to growing interest in the priority of uses and users of water.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) indicated that it will review Ontario's existing water taking requirements to determine if they are adequate to protect and conserve water for future generations. The MOECC also indicated that it will examine a range of pricing mechanisms and will undertake additional research to improve the understanding of ground water in Ontario.

While this work is occurring, the MOECC has proposed establishing a province-wide moratorium on the issuance of permits authorizing new or increased ground water taking for water bottling until January 1, 2019. In addition, the MOECC has proposed a moratorium on the issuance of new permits to take ground water for pumping tests aimed at determining the feasibility of new or increased bottled water production. This moratorium would be implemented by – and would be