Nestle's water taking permit in Aberfoyle under review by Ontario's Ministry of Environment

Bottled water companies in Ontario may soon have to paymore and take less water as public outcry over revelations that theprovince charges them just $3.71 for every million litres triggereda government review.

There is a difference between taking water for agricultural orindustrial use and taking it to sell bottled water, Premier KathleenWynnesaid Wednesday. Some of the conditions of the permits for bottled water use are outdated, she said.

"There's the issue of the quantity of water that's taken,there's the issue of the cost of that water,"Wynnesaid.

We didn't drink water from plastic bottles 30 yearsago- Premier Kathleen Wynne

"Also, there's an issue around the timing. As we all know, it'sbeen a dry summer and so I think we need to look at what are theright triggers in place in terms of quantities that are allowablegiven the conditions."

Wynnehas asked Environment Minister Glen Murray to review permitconditions for bottled water companies. It will look at whetherthere is a sufficient price on removing water, he said.

"I think for some of the folks that are removing it and takingit away, that they got a really sweet deal," he said. "Maybe toosweet a deal."

Times have changed

Environmental group Wellington Water Watchers is urging Ontarionot to renew a permit for Nestle Waters inAberfoyle, Ont., thatexpired on July 31. It's upset that the company has been allowed tokeep extracting water from a local well in the midst of a severedrought in the province.

• Nestle's water taking permit in Aberfoyle under review by Ontario's Ministry of Environment

• Why one U of Guelph groundwater researcher says accepting money from Nestl is OK

A water-taking permit remains in force if a renewal applicationis made at least 90 days before it expires.

"Quite frankly, that window gives us an opportunity to look atwhat should change, rather than issuing a new permit under the sameparameters as the former permit, which I think would not beappropriate,"Wynnesaid.

Times have changed, she said.

"Thirty years ago, we wouldn't have envisioned an industry thattook water and put it in plastic bottles so that people could carryit around,"Wynnesaid.

"I mean, we didn't drink water from plastic bottles 30 yearsago. We turned on the tap and the fact is our tap water in Ontariois among the best in the world."

Nestle Canada has two permits to take up to 4.7 million litres ofwater every day for bottling. Other bottled watercompanies withlarge water-taking permits in Ontario include Gold Mountain Springs,GottEnterprises and St. Joseph Natural Spring Water.

'All groundwater users should pay their fairshare': Nestle

Ontario charges companies just $3.71 for every million litres ofwater after they pay a permit fee of $750 for low- or medium-riskwater takings, or $3,000 for those considered a high risk to causean adverse environmental impact.

Nestle Waters Canada said it has built a "solid body ofscientific data on the local water resources" and has a long-term
commitment to sustainable water management.

"This monitoring program goes above our permitted requirementsand we have always been compliant with thegovernment set rate forwater taking," the company said in a statement.

"We fully agree that all groundwater users should pay their fairshare to fund the management of our water resources and all usersmust be treated equitably...We share PremierWynne'sconcerns andare committed to being part of the solution."

Wellington Water Watchers calledWynne'scomments encouraging.

"Three dollars and seventy-one cents is obviously whollyinadequate," said board chair MikeNagy. "We would actually liketo see most of these permits phased out, to be honest, and we opposenew consumptive permits."