Ministry of Environment Renews BlueTriton’s Operating Permits
BACKGROUNDER
On Nov. 15, 2021, after a lengthy period of expert studies, reviews and public consultations, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks renewed operating permits for Triton Water Canada Holdings Inc., (operating as BlueTriton Brands, Inc.) for its Erin and Puslinch, Ontario, sites for five years. To follow is a summary of the key findings from the Ministry’s decision. (Quotation marks denote text from the decision.)
DECISION
After a “thorough scientific and technical review,”* the Ontario Ministry of the Environment renewed BlueTriton Brand’s bottled water operating permits for five years pursuant to the “strict conditions and safeguards to protect existing water users and the natural environment” required by the Ministry. Those measures include monitoring, reporting and responding to any complaints.
For each permit “The ministry considered the need to protect the natural functions of the ecosystem, water availability for other users, and the use of water for bottling. The Ministry is satisfied the approved [permit] is protective of the environment.”
ISSUES
Availability of water for other users
The ministry is satisfied the operations “do not interfere with private water supply wells located in the area.”
Monitoring
The company is required to continue its longstanding practice of monitoring local water levels to ensure its operations maintain a sustainable water supply.
The resulting data must be reported annually to the Ministry to allow for ongoing assessment of the company’s operations and impacts, if any, on water supplies.
The annual monitoring reports must be shared with the public on the company’s website and at special open stakeholder meetings.
Operations during drought and other low-water conditions
The Ministry’s technical review concluded that “there are no unacceptable long-term or short-term (including during drought or low-water advisories) effects,” including impacts on existing water users or the environment.
The Ministry is requiring the Company to increase monitoring and analysis during low-water periods and report its findings to the government.
The government may give priority to other uses of the water supply in the event of a shortage.
Potential impact on local creeks, wetlands, etc.
The Company already has an established monitoring program to assess potential impacts of its operations on local environmental features such as creeks and wetlands.
Based on the Ministry’s technical review of monitoring data, “no unacceptable impact to these features has been observed.”
Cumulative impacts of urban and commercial water usage
Ministry technical experts reviewed the combined potential impacts on the regional water supply of both BlueTriton’s operations and planned urban development in nearby Guelph, and “have not identified any concerns.”
The sustainability of bottled water
In recent years, the Ministry has thoroughly reviewed the province’s water-use policies, programs and science tools, and held an independent third-party review of the findings by a panel of experts from Professional Geoscientists Ontario.
“The independent third-party review validated [the Ministry’s] findings that water takings for bottling are managed sustainably in Ontario under existing legislation, regulation and guidance, and are not impacting the sustainability of groundwater resources.”
Notification of Indigenous communities
The Ontario Environment Ministry specifically contacted three Indigenous communities, provided details of BlueTriton’s proposed permit renewal, and invited each community to provide comments.
No comments or concerns were received from the communities notified for the Erin permit. For the Puslinch permit, “A response indicating no concern at the time was received from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, they also indicated that they would like to be informed of any changes to the application. No comments or concerns were received from the other two communities notified.”
*Quotation marks throughout this document denote text from the decision