Program or Service Description:
To protect Ontario's surface and groundwater resources, the Ministry of the Environment administers the Permit to Take Water (PTTW) program which authorizes the signing director to issue permits for most takings of over 50,000 litres of water per day.
Any person taking more than the threshold amount of water in a day from a lake, stream, river, or groundwater source is required to obtain a permit. Permits, however are not required for emergency fire fighting, direct watering of livestock or for domestic or farm purposes other than for irrigation of crops for sale.
A PTTW application must be completed and submitted along with the appropriate administrative fee to recover the cost of the permitting process. The fee varies according to the complexity of the proposal as follows: Category 1 and 2 (low and medium risk) water takings: $750, Category 3 (higher risk) water takings: $3,000. Fees apply to all applications except those for agricultural, and wetland or wildlife purposes and minor administrative changes, such as amendments to company names.
Overall:
We are committed to the OPS service principles (i.e., accessible, responsive, reliable, caring, accountable; consistent, predictable, transparent, continuous improvement) and OPS common service standards (i.e., response times to general phone calls, mail, email, fax) as outlined in the ministry's service charter.
Program or Service-specific Standards:
- We will acknowledge receipt of complete applications by letter and assign a unique reference number within 5 business days
- Applicants with missing information will be notified by correspondence within 20 business days
- We will provide a decision on the complete application to the client no later than 90 calendar days of a PTTW Director receiving the complete application
- When processing of a complete application is anticipated to exceed the standard, we will contact the client with anticipated decision date within 5 business days. and explain the issue before the standard is exceeded
- Feedback on the process, or any other inquiries, can be directed to the ministry's Public Information Centre and a response will be provided within 15 business days (see below)
Program or Service Information:
Information explaining the PTTW Program and application resources are posted on the ministry's web site (http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/industry/assessment_and_approvals/water_taking/STDPROD_075554.html)
Program or Service-specific Feedback:
Where applicable, the decision to issue a PTTW is subject to notification or consultation with the general public, municipalities, First Nations, and other approving agencies if the water taking is related to implementing their approvals. For this reason, the consideration of the interest of others may necessitate a longer period to decide on an application. When this occurs, the proponent will be informed and updated accordingly.
If you would like to contact someone about your permit please call:
Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch - 1-800-461-6290
Northern Region Office - (807) 475-1205
Eastern Region Office - (613) 549-4000
Central Region Office - (416) 326-6700
West Central Region Office - (905) 521-7640
Southwestern Region Office - (519) 873-5000
Regional and district contact information can be found here: http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/about/regional_district_offices/index.htm
General Feedback:
Feedback on the ministry's service delivery is welcome through the following channels:
| Online: | MOE Internet site under Contact Us |
| In person: | At any ministry front counter office across the province |
| Telephone: | 416-325-4000 or 1-800-565-4923 |
| TTY: | 416-326-9236 or 1-800-515-2759 |
| Fax: | 416-325-3159 |
| Email: | picemail.moe@ontario.ca |
| Mail: | Public Information Centre 135 St. Clair Ave West, 1st Floor Toronto, Ontario M4V 1P5 |
