Premier to raise fees and regulations on companies extracting water from Ontario
On Jan. 18, Premier Kathleen Wynne proposed a new fee for companies trying to draw water out of Ontario.
The current cost of $3.71 per million litres removed will increase to $503.71 per million litres after a mandatory 60-day period to allow for comments from the companies affected, according to an article published by CBC.
The Liberal Party leader is taking time to discuss whether a rise in price alone will be enough to protect Ontario’s resources and limit the industry’s impact on the environment.
The issue has been a topic of debate since many residents of Wellington county—where Nestlé Waters Canada extracts most of their water—vocalized their discontent. After complaints from the community, Wynne established a two-year ban on expanding water drawing operations, but imposed no further restrictions.
Along with the increased fee, Premier Wynne has proposed one- to five-year contracts instead of the standard 10, to increase the rate of reevaluations on water extracting measures. Moreover, the new fee brings requirements for the companies to release weekly reports on removal volumes, along with meeting scientific requirements to ensure reduced environmental impact.
According to the Globe and Mail, Nestlé Waters Canada has agreed to the new fee, but has released a public statement that they believe the restrictions on water should be applied to the entire industry, and not just to those that extract the water.
If the proposal goes through, Ontario’s fee for water companies will be the highest in the country. However, some are convinced that a new fee will not be enough to deter these corporations.
Mike Nagy from the Wellington Water Watchers, an environmental group in Guelph, believes the profit margin is too high for a small fee to make a difference to Nestlé.Rather, he believes the culture of water bottle consumption needs to be changed through public information campaigns, countering the prolific marketing from water companies.
“We believe the province has failed to educate the public that there is no lower environmental footprint and healthier thing to do than drink tap water and bring a reusable container with you,” said Nagy in an article published by the Toronto Star.
Others believe that an increase in the price for producers will only bring an increased price for consumers, and will not be effective in deterring consumption. Another means of counteracting the negative impact from plastic bottles has been proposed by Environmental Defence, which suggests placing a deposit on plastic bottles, as is the case for liquor or beer bottles.
The newly proposed fee was not presented with a firm timeline for when it will be implemented across the province.
Photo by Mariah Bridgeman/The Ontarion.