Sometimes it takes a drought to wake people up to the the importance of their water resource.
Now, more than 200,000 people are upset with a new Water Sustainability Act that gives water away to corporations, including Nestle.
The premier has promised to look at the new rules, which were slated to start next year, requiring industrial bottlers of fresh water to pay just $2.25 per 1,000 cu. m (the equivalent of 15,000 showers or the contents of a 25 m swimming pool) plus permit fees.
That's a ridiculously low amount but can't be compared to the $150 to $250 fines for flouting summer sprinkling rules. We, too, pay peanuts — about $1 to $2 a year per household — for our water (the rest of our water utility fees go to the delivery infrastructure).
There's also a concern that higher fees could put NAFTA police on the case but if other provinces are charging more, why can't we? At the very least, these fees should be increased to cover the cost of a robust water management plan.
