Council opposes permit to take water from Hillsburgh well

ERIN – Council here has backed a motion opposing a recent application by Ice River Springs to renew a permit to take water from the former Nestlé and Blue Triton water bottling site on Concession 7. 

The original notice of motion, put forward by councillor Bridget Ryan on Sept. 24, asked council to direct staff to advise the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that the Town of Erin is an unwilling host and does not support the renewal of the permit to take water for bottled water operations.

If approved, the permit would allow Ice River to take up to 1.11 million litres of water per day, 365 days a year. 

Prior to council’s vote on Oct. 8, several members of the community, as well as representatives from both Water Watchers and Ice River delegated to council. 

“I know we think of ourselves as being situated in a water-rich landscape, but fresh water in lakes, rivers and groundwater make up only 0.63 per cent of global water supplies,” said Water Watchers campaigns and communications director Dani Lindamood. 

“Freshwater is infinitely precious and needs careful stewardship.” 

Lindamood told council that while water is a renewable resource, it takes time to regenerate and “globally, we are living beyond our hydrological needs.” 

Sixth Line residents Alisha Kaplin and Rochelle Rubenstein told council there used to be over 40 freshwater springs on the 115 acres of land they farm. 

“But after Nestlé started extracting water in Hillsburgh … the springs started to dry up, and there are now only 20-something springs [left],” said Rubinstein.  

Kaplan said single-use plastic bottles “endanger our water, soil, wildlife and human life.”

Liz Armstrong, of the Climate Change Action Group of Erin, delegated to council on the environmental impacts of single-use plastic bottles. 

She told council that even if Ontario recycled 80% of its single-use plastic bottles, given the amount of water Ice River is requesting to extract, that would leave 440,000 bottles not recycled and potentially in landfills, ditches and waterways. 

Delegate Sarah Prevette mentioned the town’s ever-growing population and the increased demand for water and water services within the town. 

“Thousands of new residents are coming,” she said. “Our future water needs are going to increase. Our farms our businesses, our ecosystems and existing residents already depend on our groundwater.”

Prevette asked, “How much groundwater can Erin sustainably support? What will we need at full build-out? And how much can we responsibly allocate to commercial extraction without compromising our future?”

Ice River Springs co-owner Sandy Gott spoke to the company’s recycling program and told council that 100% of the plastic bottles used by the company are recycled plastic. 

“We’ve been running at 100% recycled content bottles since 2011, 2012,” said Gott. 

After hearing community concerns, Ice River’s vice president of sustainability Crystal Gott told council, “I think overall, listening to this, I just have to make sure that we know you’re not dealing with Nestlé anymore. We’re an open book.”

She invited the community to tour the company’s Shelburne facility, which several members of council already had. 

Councillor Cathy Aylard said during the tour, “What really struck me was, standing in these huge warehouses full of bottled water and thinking ‘people can just turn the tap on and drink the water. They don’t need a bottle for it.’”

She added, “It was just so overwhelming to see that amount of bottled water in one place.”

Despite his objections to the water taking permit, councillor Jamie Cheyne applauded the company on its recycling efforts. 

“You’re doing a wonderful job on the environmental end of it and your recycling,” said Cheyne. 

Councillor John Brennan offered up a “friendly amendment” to Ryan’s motion, stating that if the permit is approved and water taking is to commence, that it be for a five-year term as opposed to 10 years.

This was shut down by Ryan.

“I don’t think we can weaken our stand on this,” she said. “I think the issue is here now. I think Erin needs to take a stand [and] show leadership for all of Ontario.”

While he disagreed the water taking would negatively affect the town, Mayor Michael Dehn still sided with the motion due to the threat of single-use plastic water bottles.

“I totally agree with the (opposition to) plastics … I am confident that we still have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years of water,” said Dehn.

The motion was unanimously approved by council.