White Wolf plans to begin water bottling next year

PUSLINCH – White Wolf Property Management Inc. wants to renew the water taking permit that was granted to Blue Triton now that White Wolf has purchased the water bottling property at 101 Brock Road South in Puslinch.

Water would be taken from one well and the company proposes a maximum volume of 986,400 litres per day. And they’d like a license that will last 10 years.

This represents a 30 per cent reduction in the daily amount of water from the maximum 3.6 million litres per day that Blue Triton was permitted to take.

Sandy Gott, executive vice president of Ice River Sustainable Solutions, which owns White Wolf Property Management, stated in an email that most of the Brock Road property is currently leased to a third-party logistics company and that White Wolf has retained a section for its own warehousing and distribution needs. 

“Our plans are to equip this section for bottling which will be completed and operational in late 2027. Ice River Sustainable Solutions has a network of plants and is focused on ensuring that we are strategically located in proximity to our customers and this plant will supply our retail partners along the 401 corridor,” Gott stated.

She added Ice River Sustainable Solutions is a Canadian family-owned and operated company that produces bottled water for Canadian consumers in 100% recycled plastic from its recycling facility in Shelburne.  

Acknowledging that Puslinch council has not been privy to the plan, Gott said “we will be reaching out to the [them] to answer their questions.”

Ilham Abdulkadir, program manager with Water Watchers, delegated to council on Sept. 16.

“Water-taking of this scale requires careful consideration,” she cautioned council.

Abdulkadir said that once water leaves the area, it’s gone forever, and residents and businesses in Puslinch need the water to remain.

She said 10 years is a long time and suggested that if a permit is granted, it should be for just five years.

“With growth, we need adequate and clean water here,” she said. 

“Just because (Blue Triton) had a permit doesn’t mean White Wolf should have it again automatically.”

CAO Courtenay Hoytfox said the township has already objected to the request and asked the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks for more time for the township’s hydrogeologist to review the request.

Water bottling equipment removed

Mayor James Seeley said he was told that all the water bottling equipment had been removed by Blue Triton, so he questions what is going on inside the facility.

“My position would be that the permit to take water shall not be approved unless the use is there,” said Seeley. 

“I don’t believe the province should be in the business of applying permits to take water if there isn’t an associated use.”

Council passed a resolution to lobby the ministry to:

• reduce the permit length from 10 years to five;
• deny the permit until water bottling is occurring; and
• provide the township more time for the hydrogeologist to review the file.