Policy Text:
Y-1(1): Permit to Take Water Policies in WHPA-Q1 with Significant Water Quantity Threats
Within the Tier 3 Water Budget WHPA-Q1 where a water taking is or would be a significant water quantity threat, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change shall ensure each water taking threat ceases to be, or does not become significant, through actions the Director considers appropriate on a case by case basis, such as:
1) Reviewing all existing Permits to Take Water, located within WHPA-Q1 with a significant risk level, in consultation with other Ministries (as required), the affected municipality, relevant conservation authorities, and permit holders, and amend the permits where necessary to ensure that:
a) municipal water supply requirements for the allocated and planned quantity (per the current approved population and employment projections of the most recent Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe) will be met on a sustainable basis; and
b) the hydrological integrity of municipal wells in the vulnerable areas will be maintained [NOTE: Policy Y-1(1)1) Reviewing all existing Permits to Take Water is not applicable to the Trent Source Protection Plan. Existing permits to take water are not significant drinking water threat as WHPA Q1 in TCC region is of a moderate risk level, and therefore references to existing water takings or significant risk levels do not apply within the WHPA Q1 in TCC region. This policy was included to retain consistency with the CTC Source Protection Plan policies and reduce cross boundary issues.]
2) Issuing Permits to Take Water for new or increased takings, located within WHPA-Q1 with moderate risk levels, only if it can be satisfactorily demonstrated, using the findings of the most recently approved Tier 3 Water Budget Model and other available data, where appropriate, that the taking:
a) can be maintained on a sustainable basis;
b) will not affect the ability of the aquifer to meet the municipal water supply requirements for the current and planned service capacity; and
c) will ensure the hydrological integrity of municipal wells will be maintained.
Y-1(2): Planning Policies in WHPA-Q1 with Significant Water Quantity Threats
Within the Tier 3 Water Budget WHPA-Q1 where a water taking is or would be a significant water quantity threat, the relevant Planning Approval Authority shall ensure water taking does not become a significant drinking
water threat by:
1) Only permitting new development if the new development does not require a new or amended Permit to Take Water;
2) Only providing final approval for new development that requires a new or amended Permit to Take Water once the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change has determined that the proposed taking will not become a significant water quantity threat;
3) Only approving settlement area expansions within WHPA-Q1 as part of a municipal comprehensive review where the applicable provincial planning criteria have been met and the following has been demonstrated:
a) the aquifer has sufficient capacity to sustainably provide municipal water services to the expanded settlement area;
b) the expansion will not adversely impact the aquifers ability to meet the municipal water supply requirements for current and planned service capacity, for other permitted takings, or for wastewater receiving bodies; and
c) the hydrological integrity of municipal wells will be maintained.
Y-1(3): The municipality or planning authority shall prepare, by February 1 each year, an annual summary of the actions it has taken to achieve the outcomes of the source protection plan policies for the preceding calendar year, and make that report available to the applicable Municipalities and the Source Protection Authority.
Y-1(4): Growth Management/Planning Ministries to Review Growth in WHPA-Q1 with Significant Water Quantity Threats
Within a Tier 3 Water Budget WHPA-Q1 identified as having significant water quantity threats, the Provincial Ministries specified below should undertake the following to ensure the provision and distribution of water supply for municipal population and employment growth forecasts does not create a new, or increase an existing, significant water quantity threat:
1) The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in consultation with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and any affected municipalities should use the Tier 3 Water Budget information and other available data to ensure that municipal Official Plan growth forecasts and distributions will not result in creating or worsening a significant water quantity threat, given water quantity constraints identified in Tier 3 Water Budget model areas; and
2) The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing should take into consideration water quantity constraints identified through Tier 3 Water Budgets, and other available data, during its review of the population forecasts contained in the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, in consultation with relevant municipalities. [NOTE: Policy Y-1(4) is not applicable to the Trent Source Protection Plan as WHPA Q1 in TCC region is of a moderate risk level, and therefore references to Growth Management Plans for significant risk levels do not apply with the WHPA Q1 in TCC region. This policy was simply included to retain consistency with the CTC Source Protection Plan policies and reduce cross boundary issues.]
Y-1(5): The ministry shall prepare, by February 1 each year, an annual summary of the actions it has taken to achieve the outcomes of the source protection plan policies for the preceding calendar year, and make that report available to the applicable Source Protection Authority. Reporting shall include information related to the effectiveness of the policies in ensuring a threat ceases to be, or does not become significant, and any actions required to respond to a drinking water threat during the reporting period. [NOTE: Policy Y-1(5) is not applicable as a monitoring policy to policy Y-1(4) in the Trent Source Protection Plan as policy Y-1(4) is only applicable to significant drinking water threats and the WHPA Q1 in TCC region is of a moderate risk level. This policy is not applicable at this time and was included to retain consistency with the CTC Source Protection Plan policies and reduce cross boundary issues.]
Y-1(6): Municipal Water Conservation Plans
Municipalities responsible for the production, treatment, and storage of water, who have a municipal well and/or whose residents are served by a municipal water supply within the Tier 3 Water Budget WHPA-Q1 shall develop and/or update Water Conservation Plans to ensure they are an effective tool to support sustainable water quantity by reducing consumption and therefore the demand for water.
Y-1(7): Tier 3 Model Updates
The MOECC should adopt and fund a Tier 3 Water Budget Model in a WHPAQ1 identified as having a moderate or significant risk level and undertake the following to ensure it is maintained as the primary model to review existing and future Permits to Take Water, to allow municipalities and other provincial ministries (i.e., MMA and Ministry of Infrastructure) to evaluate growth projections and distributions, and to facilitate the review of planning applications by municipalities, where necessary, to ensure that these activities cease to be, or do not become, significant drinking water threats:
1) Through the PTTW program, require municipal takers in WHPA-Q1 to monitor water quantity and supply data on a regular basis to assist in the upkeep of the model to determine any increase or reduction in significant water quantity threats;
2) Use the model with the most up-to-date data as an analysis and decision making tool; and
3) When necessary, contribute to funding for new continuous flow gauging stations in key surface water features and enhance conservation authorities existing Hydrometric Network in WHPA-Q1 to monitor long term trends in surface water quantity, study impacts of urbanization and climate change on aquifer recharge, and facilitate calibration of the model
[NOTE: The references to significant risk level, exiting takings, and cease to be in Policy Y-1(7)(1) does not apply in the Trent SPP, and the policy is only applicable for the
WHPA Q1 with a moderate risk level, future takings. Policy Y-1(7) was included to retain consistency with the CTC Source Protection Plan policies and reduce cross
boundary issues.]