The addition of a second water-bottling facility in Hinchinbrooke once again made headlines in recent days, after Montreal media caught wind of the local movement pressuring the government to reassess water extraction permits that will allow up to 160 million litres of water to be pumped, bottled, and trucked away per year from the site in Powerscourt.
Local concerns about the sustainability of the region’s groundwater resources continues to run high as locals refuse to give up their fight against the building of a new bottling facility, despite assurances from the company that a recent hydrogeological study confirmed there is plenty of water to go around.
Efforts by the Hinchinbrooke council to limit the zone where natural resource extraction is permitted have now come into effect. The municipality introduced the bylaw in March, and a final version was adopted in May after consultations yielded zero public objections.
During the June 17 regional council meeting, the mayors of the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent approved the final version, which effectively restricts any additional industrial water projects from tapping into the aquifer.
In Godmanchester, the municipal council has also moved to provide a clearer framework for industrial groundwater extraction. During the July 6 regular meeting, the council passed a draft bylaw to regulate where such activities could take place within its territory.
Mayor Judith Fouquet explained that municipalities cannot prohibit groundwater extraction once government permits have been obtained, but there are certain land-use planning tools at their disposition that allow local governments to regulate where such activities may take place.
“Through this regulatory amendment, the council wants to adopt a preventive and responsible approach by limiting this type of activity to specific areas within the municipality,” she said. “The goal is to better balance economic development, environmental protection, and the preservation of our water resources,” she added.
In a context where droughts and issues related to water availability are becoming increasingly common, Fouquet explained it was important to make decisions that protect resources for current and future generations. “Over the past year, some homeowners have had to deepen or replace their wells due to a lack of water,” she said, while pointing out that even though several factors may explain these situations, “They remind us of the importance of managing our water resources prudently.”
Fouquet confirmed the bylaw does not target a specific project or business. “It aims to provide the municipality with a clear framework so that it is better prepared to analyze future projects,” she said. “Water is a strategic resource for our community, and we believe it is better to take preventive action than to have to react when a problem arises.”
Bethany Lee, a founder and spokesperson for the local Protect our Water Source action group, said the group was pleased to see other municipalities taking the issue seriously. During the July 6 meeting in Hinchinbrooke, she and other members proposed a well-monitoring project in partnership with residents within a five-kilometre radius of the new water extraction facility.
“The vast majority of folks we speak to regarding this issue agree that water should not be for profit, especially water taken from a watershed where shortages are a reality,” said Lee. She confirms that while there seems to be little to no activity at the site of the proposed bottling facility at this time, the group will continue to build momentum around groundwater protection and water stewardship.
The group also encouraged the municipality to consider supporting the OBV SCABRIC’s request for a public review or BAPE into groundwater resources. The group has prepared a model letter in support of the watershed organization’s request that 56 residents have already signed and sent to Premier Christine Frechette and Pascale Déry, the minister of the environment, the fight against climate change, wildlife and parks.
The letter can be accessed online at protectourwatersource.ca.
2 Comments
I would like to hear from TR Anderson and Mayor Judith Fouquet and Bethany Lee, I have created a You tube channel, Water Action Canada and would like to arrange a podcast to bring attention to this situation which is unravelling across Canada in many other communities. Please email me, susan.blacklin@yahoo.com or visit my website susanblacklin.com
There is always a price to pay when anything, including water is extracted in unchecked, industrial quantities. The Great Aquifer under parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and all the way down to Texas has fallen from 100 to 200 feet from the extraction of water faster than nature can replace it. No civil servant or elected official would allow this to occur beneath the feet of their citizens unless it was an economic advantage to them personally. The municipalities, regions, nor province will gain anything by giving away the water, and should residents and farmers need to replace or extend their wells by 30, 20, or just 15 feet, they will bear that expense while the bottling company profits.