Puslinch council continues to ask why water bottlers singled out by province
by Mike Robinson.
Puslinch councillors continue to raise concerns with the method by which the province is dealing with water issues and water bottling.
The item first came up at the March 1 council session as part of council’s ongoing discussion regarding the recent Environmental Registry Alerts and the new water bottling charge announced as part of the Ontario Water Resources Act.
The proposed regulation would establish a new regulatory charge that would apply to water bottling facilities that take groundwater pursuant to a permit to take water.
Starting Aug. 1, a charge of $500 per million litres would apply to the total amount of groundwater taken by a water bottling facility in a calendar year.
The intent of the charge is to help finance activities and programs the Ontario government is establishing to more effectively manage groundwater takings by water bottlers. It is also intended to boost public confidence in how the province regulates groundwater takings by water bottling facilities.
