It’s time to end the virtual “free ride” given to companies granted permits to take large quantities of water in Ontario, says that province’s environmental watchdog. In her yearly report, acting environmental commissioner Ellen Schwartzel says the government has made no progress in recovering costs for water supplied to industries like golf courses and bottled water companies.
Few pay and they pay little, says watchdog
The government recovers only 1.2 per cent of the $16.2 million it spends annually on water quantity management programs, says Schwartzel. She adds “not only do most industries get a total free ride,” the few that pay are charged only $3.71 for every million litres of water. That’s less than $10 for enough water to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.
The province needs to be more open when it issues water-taking permits, says Schwartzel, adding that only one-quarter of them are currently posted on its website for public perusal.
One example of public concern about the issue involves residents in the southern Ontario town of Elora where Nestlé Water Canada plans to pump up to 1.6 million litres of water per day from a nearby aquifer.
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