Ontario bill blazes new trail in water conservation Will the Great Lakes states keep pace?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press release
May 20, 2010

Ontario bill blazes new trail in water conservation
Will the Great Lakes states keep pace?

Toronto – On Tuesday, the Ontario government tabled Bill 72, the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act. This bill sets the legal groundwork for Ontario to implement and regulate its commitments under the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Resources Agreement, going beyond the baseline conservation requirements.
“When Great Lakes lawmakers shut the door to diversions, they also committed to addressing our own wasteful water use. With this bill Ontario steps ahead of the pack by legislating a conservation mandate,” said Derek Stack, Executive Director of Great Lakes United. “The real question is whether the Great Lakes states will keep pace.”
Pumping and treating water is a huge public expense that in Ontario can reach $80 million per month. Using less water lowers operating costs, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and defers costly infrastructure expansion – often in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The benefits to the environment and ratepayers are clear.
If passed, The Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act will encourage the creation and export of clean water technology, promote water conservation, attract economic development and create jobs.
Whereas some Great Lakes States such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana are focussing all discussion on voluntary conservation measures, and others such as Illinois are likely to depend on existing regulations and programs, the province of Ontario is legislating change with the eye to export Ontario skills and technologies in the water conservation and treatment sector.
In Michigan, an Advisory Council was set up that recommended conservation goals and targets but the Council was disbanded before any public consultation on conservation took place, and the effort is now stalled. It’s much the same in Minnesota.
In Wisconsin the general approach is for voluntary conservation targets, while in cases of larger withdrawals and diversions the DNR is drafting rules on mandatory conservation measures. Waukesha has been a focal point in the state, having long sought access to Great Lakes water. But earlier this week Mayor Jeff Scrima balked at the $160 million price tag to purchase water from Milwaukee, Racine or Oak Creek. Instead, the mayor indicated city council would now consider improved treatment of local sources.
Ontario is retooling its economy to save taxpayers money and garner access to global water conservation and treatment markets valued at over $400 billion, and doubling every five to six years.
The province signalled its intention to pass the act in the Speech from the Throne earlier this year. Since that time, Great Lakes United has joined forces with other environmental and conservation groups, green businesses, labour representatives, and citizens to form the Ontario Water Conservation Alliance, in an effort to ensure Ontario implements the strongest conservation plan possible.
“Ontario is recognizing that when we reduce our water use, we use less energy pumping treating, and heating water, we lower our greenhouse gas emissions, and we reduce the burden on an overwhelmed and aging sewer system that annually leaks billions of gallons of untreated sewage,” said Stack, adding: “Laggard states should take note. The Ontario bill shows that the province believes conservation is not only possible, it is profitable.”