What Ontario legislation governs water taking?
The Ontario Water Resources Act is the primary statute in Ontario governing water. The Ministry of the Environment regulates the taking of large amounts of water from surface or groundwater sources under Section 34 of the Ontario Water Resources Act. According to Sect. 34 (3), a person is required to obtain a water taking permit from a Ministry of the Environment Director for water takings over 50,000 litres per day. Sect. 34 (4) provides the Director with the authority to prohibit water taking that is deemed to be interfering with any public or private interest in water. The process for water taking approvals is further elaborated in O.Reg. 285/99, the Water Taking and Transfer Regulation, introduced by the Ministry of the Environment in 1999. The Water Taking and Transfer Regulation authorizes a Director of the Ministry of the Environment to issue, amend, refuse or cancel water taking permits over 50,000 litres a day. The purpose of the Regulation is to provide for the conservation,
