Ontario Taking Next Step to Protect Water Resources

Jan 18, 2017

As part of Ontario's plan to protect water resources, the province is proposing a new fee for water bottling companies that take groundwater.

Currently, water bottlers are charged $3.71 for every million litres of groundwater they take. Ontario is proposing water bottlers pay an additional $500 fee, which would bring the cost up to $503.71 for every million litres of groundwater taken.

The proposed fee would help recover the costs of managing groundwater taken by water bottlers, including supporting scientific research, policies, outreach and compliance, and would further build upon Ontario's recent actions to protect groundwater, including:

Placing a moratorium on all new and expanded permits to take water from groundwater sources for water bottling
Reviewing existing rules for water bottlers and undertaking further research to ensure long-term groundwater protection, including considering the impacts of climate change and future demand on water sources
Engaging Indigenous partners on groundwater management
Consulting with communities and industry on changes to groundwater management practices.

People across Ontario are encouraged to provide their input on the proposed new fee for water bottlers through the Environmental Registry, available until March 20, 2017.

Protecting Ontario's groundwater sources for future generations is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

Source: Ontario

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.