Transcript presentation_pttw_2008_nov

Permits to Take Water:
What you need to know.
Janis Pechinger
PTTW Coordinator
MOE Southwestern Region
London, ON
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Today’s Presentation
• Purpose of Permit To Take
Water (PTTW) Program
• Legislation
• What’s new?
• What could go wrong by
taking water?
• Obligations
• Application Process
• Next Steps and Summary
• Questions
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Purpose of PTTW Program
• The Ministry’s water quantity management policy is to
ensure the fair sharing, conservation and sustainable use
of the waters of the Province.
• Prevent water takings from causing unacceptable impacts
to natural environment and existing water users.
• Most water takings >50,000 litres per day (L/d) require
Permit
• Permit shows that the MOE is satisfied that there is a low
risk for the taking to cause unacceptable impacts
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Legislation
• Ontario Water Resources Act (1961)
– “No person shall take more than a total of 50,000 litres in
a day…without a Permit.”
• Ontario Regulation 387 (2004) – “Water Taking”
(enforced as of Jan 1, 2005)
– Includes new rules about monitoring, reporting, notice,
restrictions, MOE responsibilities, etc.
– New Permit to Take Water Manual, Guide and application form
– Application fees
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O.Reg 387/04 (Water Taking)
NEW
• Stronger language surrounding:
– minimum stream flow
– flow variability
– habitat protection
•
High & Medium Use watershed
– Consumptive uses restricted
• Notification of Conservation
Authorities (CA’s) and
municipalities
• Annual reporting requirements
• New classification system
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Monitoring & Reporting Requirements
•
•
•
•
•
Section 9 – Duties of a Permit Holder
– All Permitees shall collect & record daily water use using flow meter or other
acceptable method
– Before March 31 in every year, all Permit Holders shall submit this info to the
Director
Phased Implementation
Phase 1
• Large & small municipal residential systems and MISA sector
• Start recording on July 1/05, Submit data by March 31/06
Phase 2
• industrial, commercial and wildlife and conservation (Jan. 2006/Mar.
2007)
Phase 3
• All other drinking water systems, agriculture and all other Permit Holders
(Jan. 2007/Mar. 2008)
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Classification System
• Why Classify?
• Risk management based
• Allows both applicants and MOE to focus
technical effort appropriate to complexity and
risk associated with a proposed water taking.
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Classification System
Cat 1
•Renewal
•Small ponds
•Great Lakes < 1 Million L/d
•No study
•$750
Cat 2
•Pumping tests
•Great Lakes <19 Million L/d
•5% of 7Q20* from >3rd order
streams, etc.
•No study, but a qualified
person (QP) must submit a
schedule
•$750
Cat 3
All others
•Study required
•$3000
* 7 day period with the lowest flow over 20 years
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Administrative Fee Exemptions
• Agricultural takings are exempt from paying
fees
• Effective September 1, 2007 wetland and
wildlife conservation permits, and
• Grandfathered permits, existing takings prior
to 1961
• Fee exempted takers still subject to various
category requirements
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Principle #1 – The Ministry will use an ecosystem approach
that considers both water takers’ reasonable needs for the
water and the natural functions of the ecosystem.
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Principle # 2 – Water takings are controlled to prevent
unacceptable interference with other uses of water, wherever
possible, and to resolve such problems if they do occur
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Principle # 3 – The Ministry will employ adaptive
management to better respond to evolving environmental
conditions
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Principle # 4 – The Ministry will consider the cumulative
impacts of water takings
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Principle # 5 – The Ministry will incorporate risk
management principles into the permit application/review
process
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Principle #6 – The Ministry will promote public and local
agency involvement
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What could go wrong by taking water?
• Water needs to be shared by natural environment and increasing
population
• Conflicts arise when a water taking is unsuitable for its
environment
• A few examples:
– Eg.1 - 10 million LPD from L. Ontario
– Eg.2 – 100,000 LPD from well in a village
– Eg.3 – pumping from a stream during
spring flood vs. summer low flow
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Ground Water Interference - 1
Neighbours
A
B
water table
(aquifer)
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Ground Water Interference-2
Neighbours
New HighCapacity Well
A
B
water table
(aquifer)
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Ground Water Interference-3
Neighbours
Turn on Well
A
B
(original water table)
Loss of supply
(aquifer)
No Loss of supply
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Surface Water Interference-1
Reasonable withdrawal
(no unacceptable impact
to existing users or natural
environment)
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Surface Water Interference-2
Reasonable withdrawal
(no unacceptable impact
to existing users or natural
environment)
Pump 1
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Surface Water Interference-3
Unreasonable withdrawal
(impacts existing users
and natural environment)
Pump 2
Established withdrawal
can’t be met, because of
interference
Pump 1
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Obligations
•
New regulation requires all Permit Holders to
monitor how much water is taken on daily basis
–
–
Must be reasonable prospect that water will be used
in near future
Demonstration of water conservation measures
through Best Management Practices (BMP)
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Application Process (new, renew, amend)
•
•
•
•
•
New application form
Greater emphasis on pre-submission consultation
Apply to EAAB office in Toronto
New classification system
Cat. 2 or 3 and will require Qualified Professional
(QP)
• QP provides study to confirm that taking won’t cause
unacceptable impacts
• Fee now required for application
($750-$3000)
• Conservation Schedule
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Average Annual Flow Map
(taking may be refused)
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Summer Low Flow Map
(taking may be excluded August 1 to September 11)
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What’s New?
• Water Taking Charges for Industrial &
Commercial Water Users (O. Reg. 450/07)
• Interactive Water Use Mapping Tool
• Surface Water & Hydrogeological (Groundwater)
Studies Guidance Documents
• Water Taking Reporting System
• PTTW fee exemption for ‘conservation’ water
taking (wetland & wildlife habitat projects)
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Interactive Mapping Tool
• Access via the Ministry’s PTTW site
• Helps you determine the Tertiary Watershed
and the Water Use Classification of a proposed
Water Taking Permit location.
• Can also be used to prepare a map to be
submitted with a Permit application.
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Summary
• Water use must be sustainable
• PTTW protects environment and users,
including you
• New classification system and applications
• Monitoring and reporting
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Need Help?
You can contact the PTTW Coordinator’s for
each Region by calling the following numbers:
•
Eastern Region
613-549-4000
1-800-267-0974
West Central Region
905-521-7640
1-800-668-4557
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Central Region
416-326-6700
1-800-810-8048
Southwestern Region
519-873-5000
1-800-265-7672
•
Northern Region
807-475-1205
1-800-875-7772
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Questions?
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/water/pttw.htm
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