The owner of a gravel quarry on the edge of Cambridge has applied for a water taking permit that's "anticipated to have the highest potential of causing unacceptable environmental impact" to local drinking water according to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).
John Dick Construction Limited, a Bolton-based gravel extraction company that operates the Glen Christie Quarry at the northwest corner of Puslinch Township, wants to extract nearly 15 million litres of water per day for half a year, for up to 10 years.
The application names two sources at the quarry where water is needed for "aggregate extraction dewatering purposes."
One site, called Lower Quarry Lake, would see up to 13.7 million litres of water taken per day for up to 120 days per year for 10 years.
At the second source, called Quarry Sump, the company wants to extract nearly 1 million litres per day for 365 days a year for 10 years.
The amounts qualify it as a Category 3 permit for having the highest potential for "unacceptable environmental impactor interference."
The application was submitted to MECP last October, giving the public a 30-day notice period to provide written comment.
Since the public consultation period closed in late November, the MECP has circulated the application to area municipalities and agencies for comment by Jan. 10.
The City of Cambridge said it had no comment since it relies on the Region of Waterloo for groundwater management.
The region said its comments were submitted to the ministry, but that they wouldn't be made public until they are released by the MECP.
The Township of Puslinch said it will make its comments public at a council meeting next week.
So far only the Grand River Conservation Authority expressed concern about the permit, urging due diligence on an investigation into impacts on neighbouring wells.
The GRCA says it was contacted to determine whether the proposal relates to a significant drinking water threat and whether the permit could result in a
potential impact on drinking water sources protected by the Grand River Source Protection Plan.
The GRCA identifies the proposal as being within a wellhead protection area in the Speed River sub-watershed.
Wells in the area are used to supply municipal drinking water to the City of Guelph and the Region of Waterloo.
"Additionally, there are a number of large private permitted water takers in the area," the GRCA wrote.
"There is a need to consider the cumulative impacts of existing and potential future water takings to ensure sufficient water supplies for municipal, non-municipal, and environmental needs."
The GRCA refers to a "best practices paper" developed in 2010 by a working group representing the GRCA, the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry and the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.
The paper presents advice relating to cumulative effects assessment of applications for below-water aggregate extraction.
The paper identifies the Glen Christie Quarry as an area that's a "high priority for cumulative effects assessment of new or amended aggregate license applications and their potential impacts on water resources."
The GRCA recommends the ministry use the tool to delineate a geographic area where a ground or surface source of water supply is under stress and prepare a strategy to manage permitted water takers within the area.
In an email to CambridgeToday, MECP said its technical review of the materials is ongoing.
"Discussing potential impacts at this time would be premature," said ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler in an email.
He said the ministry is in the process of conducting a thorough review of the application and its supporting documents, including a review of public and agency comments.
A decision on the application will be made once that review is complete and within the prescribed 180 day time period from the application being filed he added.
Questions about how the application was circulated for public comment were not immediately answered.
For comparison on the scale of the permit, Nestle Waters Canada was permitted by the province to take up to 3.6 million litres a day at its Aberfoyle bottling plant.
That plant was sold to BlueTriton in 2021 and began winding down its Canadian operations late last year when the company announced a merger with Florida based Primo Water Corporation.
Wellington Water Watchers fought water taking in Aberfoyle and Elora for years because of its impact to the environment and threat to local drinking water.
The organization called BlueTriton's decision to leave a significant victory in the ongoing battle for water justice last November.
Wellington Water Watchers did not have a comment about the Glen Christie permit at this time.
With files from EloraFergusToday.
