‘A water issue’

Dear Editor:

It is likely that few newcomers to Centre Wellington are aware that they have moved to a community that has a water issue.

Even many long-time residents may not know that Centre Wellington is officially designated at significant risk because of current insufficient infrastructure to meet future population growth.

The problem is that in 2016 the provincial government targeted the urban area to double in population by 2041. The township needs four new municipal wells to meet future demands. Work to address this has commenced but the requirement to determine the best locations, drill test wells, build infrastructure and obtain a permit is a lengthy process that will take several years to complete. Consequently, all citizens need to be cognizant of the water situation and act accordingly. Conservation in each home will benefit the community as a whole.

For many years Centre Wellington has been under an additional threat to its groundwater from an international water bottling company that was seeking to remove in excess of one million litres per day from the Middlebrook well, just west of Elora. Fortunately, the Provincial government enacted a moratorium on new water taking for bottling purposes in 2016.

The government proposes to end the moratorium on April 1 of this year. However, it has passed legislation whereby a sitting township council can vote to stop any water bottling company taking in excess of 379,000 litres per day. This is a good start but allowing even this amount of groundwater to be taken in an area where there are concerns would be premature.

With one hand the provincial government is suggesting township council has the authority to veto any large-scale water taking for bottling but with the other, is suggesting that a substantial amount of water could be removed from the watershed for that purpose.

And to further compound the uncertainty, it allows a future council the power to potentially reverse the veto, thereby allowing a water bottling company to seek a permit to remove groundwater in excess of 379,000 litres per day.

Groundwater extracted for bottling is water that is destined to leave the watershed and is counter to community conservation practices.

Mike Shackleford,
Belwood