Regional Council Revokes 1980 Water Policy in Wilmot Township to Address Capacity Constraints

Regional councillors in the Region of Waterloo voted on Wednesday to revoke a policy established in 1980 that restricted the amount of water the region could extract from Wilmot Township. The policy, amended in 1984, was originally introduced due to concerns from Wilmot Township council and residents about water transfers supporting growth in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge.

The revocation allows the transfer of an additional 30 litres per second of surplus water to the Mannheim Service Area.

The Mannheim Service Area encompasses all of Kitchener, Waterloo, and parts of Cambridge, Woolwich, and Wilmot. In December, the region identified water capacity constraints in this area, described as a quantity issue rather than a quality issue. No changes to resident water usage are required, but the constraints could affect future housing and industrial developments.

A staff report indicated that Wilmot's wells have sufficient capacity to support the water transfer while meeting growth needs in Baden and New Hamburg through 2051.

The motion to revoke the policy was introduced in February and deferred several times to allow for additional information, including an aquifer assessment of Wilmot's wells. Amendments proposed by Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen, which sought a temporary revocation and integration into a broader water supply strategy, were defeated.

Salonen noted concerns from her council that the region may have extracted more water from the township since 2019 than permitted under the policy.

She stated that the 30 litres per second transfer has already been occurring for nearly six years without needing the policy revocation.