Raise the Hammer
Water is a basic human right but, with a new provincial government that believes Ontario is open for business, access to water for the common person just became that much more precarious.
By Doreen Nicoll
Published November 02, 2018
Before November 30, let the Ontario Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks know you agree with their proposed extension to the current moratorium on new permits to take groundwater for bottled water.
For over 15 years, Nestlé has been extracting water for profit in Wellington county. Wellington Water Watchers (WWW) campaign Water for Life, Not Profit maintains that water should be treated as a commons, not a commodity to be bought and sold on the world market.
WWW is focused on Nestlé because Nestlé is the only corporation bottling water in Wellington County, and it's not only seeking to expand its water-mining but is by far the largest water bottler in Ontario. Nestlé currently has two expired permits for wells in Aberfoyle and Hillsburgh but continues extracting a total maximum of 4.7 million litres per day. In addition, it purchased a well in Middlebrook and hopes to secure a permit for that site as well.
Despite recent droughts affecting local residents and farmers in Wellington County, Nestlé made headlines in September 2016 when it outbid the community of Elora and purchased a third well in Middlebrook to expand production from its existing Aberfoyle and Hillsburgh extraction sites.
Guelph is one of the largest Canadian cities to rely almost exclusively on groundwater for its drinking water supply. That puts the Aberfoyle plant in direct competition with the needs of residents. In fact, a City of Guelph report released at the end of October 2016, exposed Nestlé's water extraction will come into conflict with Guelph's water needs within two decades.
WWW believe water is for life not for profit. This non-profit organization primarily run by volunteer citizens from Guelph-Wellington is committed to protecting local water and educating the public about threats to watersheds throughout Ontario.
Ontario bottlers like Nestlé were paying $3.71 per million litres for the water drawn from local aquifers. In 2017, the Wynne government increased that cost to $503.71 per million litres in an attempt to try to recover permit costs. But, basically, water extracted by Nestlé is essentially free when compared to the cost to consumers for each 500 ml. bottle.
Nestlé Waters Canada currently has permits to extract 4.7 million litres per day of groundwater in Wellington Country. Nestlé wants to increase this by an additional 1.6 million litres per day. That water leaves local watersheds, never returns and so interferes with local access to drinking water. This hasn't even accounted for the plastic waste that ends up in landfills or as litter.
As WWW Chair Mike Nagy points out, "Even if fees are very high, it does not create more clean water. There is only so much to go around. Not one single drop more has been produced since the world began. All we do is simply transform water into different states and we contaminate it. But, the bigger concern is the huge carbon footprint of bottled water production and transportation."
WWW believes water is a basic human right but, with a new provincial government that believes Ontario is open for business, access to water for the common person just became that much more precarious.
This is not just about one corporation's insatiable demand for our water, it is also about strengthening provincial regulations in order to help protect water across this beautiful province, the country and around the world.
Here's the link to Ontario Environment Conservation and Parks survey.
Make some time to get to know the work and campaigns of WWW.
By GWW (registered) | Posted November 03, 2018 at 11:34:43
If you check on line, the bottled water industry sells 2.4 billion litres of water per year (2013) or 68 litres per Canadian. I don't like the packaging, and if it is lowering the water level at the local aquifer this isn't good. Otherwise, the water industry is making water more accessible to more Canadians. It certainly isn't precarious. This article has a hint of NIMBY'ism to it. It's a product clearly wanted by Canadians. Canadians are paying for the production/packing/distribution/retail costs for the product, the actual water is a marginal incidental cost.People are paying for the convenience, less than 20 cents for a half litre at grocery store in bulk, or up to $3 to $5 at a convenience store. There is plenty of competition in this sector unlike the dairy industry. I try to fill a reusable container at home, especially when out hiking or walking, but there are times I am traveling and want water, not a soft drink, and I'm guilty of buying bottled water. All the water ends up back in the environment , not as much will show up in the aquifer in the Guelph area.
By Blotto (registered) | Posted November 06, 2018 at 10:34:28
I think the fluoride in the water is calcifying people's pineal gland and their ability to see through the illusions. . Independent thinking is a dying art.
You must be logged in to comment.
There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?