| #Q001 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | PTTW Renewal Monitoring Submission | other | Under Ontario's PTTW program, permits expire after a period generally not exceeding 10 years, and the results of any required monitoring programs must be submitted for review when submitting an application for renewal. | When submitting an application for Permit To Take Water (PTTW) renewal. | high |
| #Q002 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Subdivisions Water Quantity Assessment | other | Additionally, in southern Ontario, applications for subdivisions under the Planning Act will generally not be approved unless a water quantity assessment demonstrates that long-term water demands can be met. | Applications for subdivisions under the Planning Act in southern Ontario. | high |
| #Q003 | administrative | operational | mandatory | MECP Consideration of Aquatic Ecosystems | aquatic life | In Ontario, protecting natural functions of aquatic ecosystems is a regulatory requirement through the Water Taking and Transfer Regulation, s.4 that the MECP must consider when reviewing PTTW applications. | When MECP is reviewing PTTW applications. | high |
| #Q004 | design | operational | mandatory | Category 3 Surface Water PTTW Site-Specific Assessment | other | Applications for Category 3 surface water PTTWs require an in-stream minimum flow or water level requirements to be determined through a site-specific assessment. | Applications for Category 3 surface water PTTWs. | high |
| #Q005 | administrative | operational | recommended | Coordination on Local Flow Systems and Alternative Supplies | other | In these areas, the MECP should coordinate with the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) investigations to help in the characterization of local flow systems and potential alternative water supplies. | In priority areas where the population relies upon an easily accessible (low cost) resource such as a limited extent shallow aquifer or over allocated surface water feature. | high |
| #Q006 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Long-Term Water Level Monitoring Partnership | other | The OGS should partner with local agencies such as Conservation Authorities or municipalities to instrument boreholes that intercept regional aquifers with water level loggers for long term water level monitoring and integrate these wells into the PGMN. | | high |
| #Q007 | administrative | operational | recommended | Drought Management Plan Prerequisite | other | a drought management plan needs to be in place before a Level III is declared. | Prior to declaring a Level III drought. | high |
| #Q008 | operational | operational | mandatory | Flow System Characterization Prior to Drought Declaration | other | characterizing the flow system is imperative before declaring a Level III as the response may or may not need to include groundwater restrictions. | Before declaring a Level III drought. | high |
| #Q009 | administrative | operational | recommended | Watershed Prioritization Scheme | other | Ontario should require that watersheds proactively develop a prioritization scheme on a local scale with stakeholder involvement, as it is value-based and may change over time, and which should also be revisited and reassessed on a regular basis. | | high |
| #Q010 | administrative | operational | recommended | Developer Local Water Supply Plan | other | Developers should prepare a local water supply plan as part of an application for development; | As part of an application for development. | high |
| #Q011 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Universal Availability of Self-Reported Water Taking Data | other | The self-reported actual water taking data that was collected in Ontario since 2011 should be made universally available; | | high |
| #Q012 | administrative | operational | recommended | Sustainability Standard for Cumulative Effects | other | Ontario should apply a sustainability standard to combat risks from Cumulative Effects to surface water and groundwater resources; | | high |
| #Q013 | administrative | operational | recommended | Proactive Drought Management Plan Establishment | other | A proactive drought management plan developed collaboratively by local water takers needs to be in place on a watershed scale so that when Level III conditions exist, required action can be taken immediately rather than waiting for the Low Water Committee as activated by the Ontario Water Directors committee (MNRF, MECP, OMAFRA and OMMAH) to determine that Level III conditions exist as recommended by the local Water Response Team; | | high |
| #Q014 | administrative | operational | recommended | Water Bottling Assessment Level Requirements | other | The level of assessment required for water bottling specifically versus other commercial takings should be re-visited and re-evaluated. The level of assessment should be proportional to potential impacts and not necessarily linked to the specific purpose of the taking; | | high |
| #Q015 | operational | operational | recommended | Groundwater Thresholds in Low Water Response | other | Ontario Low Water Response should incorporate groundwater thresholds and uncouple reduction requirements between surface water and groundwater where not technically justified; | | high |
| #Q016 | administrative | operational | recommended | Re-assessment of High Use Watersheds | other | High Use Watersheds, as originally recommended, should be regularly re-assessed; | | high |
| #Q017 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Centralization of Water Quantity Data | other | Ontario's water quantity assessment related data currently exists between several ministries and agencies. Efforts should be made to centralize and present the data in usable forms for assessment purposes through a universally accessible portal. | | high |
| #Q018 | administrative | operational | recommended | Development of Online Water Resource Analysis Tool | other | For some areas in the province where specific water quantity management issues exist (over allocation of surface water features during irrigation season or high use watersheds where concerns with respect to sustainability have been expressed), Ontario should consider enhancing existing data sets and developing an on line water resource analysis tool similar to the Kansas High Plains Aquifer Atlas | In areas where specific water quantity management issues exist. | high |
| #Q019 | administrative | operational | recommended | Implementation of Water Management Policy Tools | other | Implementation of policy tool such as Area Based Assessments, Adaptive Management, proactive drought management plans, integrated watershed management plans that consider Cumulative Effects and Environmental Flow Needs is strongly encouraged, and would allow for broader adoption of voluntary coordination of water takings such as those testing in Innisfil Creek and Big Creek. | | high |
| #Q020 | administrative | operational | mandatory | PTTW Withdrawal Threshold | other | PTTW requirement for water withdrawal exceeding 50,000 litres on any day, | Water withdrawal exceeding 50,000 litres on any day | high |
| #Q021 | prohibition | operational | mandatory | Water Bottling Moratorium | other | Prohibitions on specific water taking activities, such as water used for water bottling (moratorium), | Specifically for water used for water bottling | high |
| #Q022 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Water Charges for Consumptive Use | other | Water charges for highly consumptive industrial and commercial uses. | Highly consumptive industrial and commercial uses | high |
| #Q023 | administrative | operational | recommended | Adaptive Management Policy Adoption | other | Minnesota's approach to Adaptive Management could be considered in the province in the context of both the Ontario Low Water Response program for surface water and the High Use Watershed designation and screening tool; | | high |
| #Q024 | operational | operational | recommended | Priority Streams Pilot Program | other | Ontario should consider piloting Florida's approach in some areas of the province, in which an annual list of priority streams is developed, and minimum flows and levels for these streams are established; | | high |
| #Q025 | design | operational | recommended | Micro-component Modeling Exploration | other | With respect to forecasting the effects of population growth, land use change and climate change on water demand, Ontario should explore the potential applicability of the United Kingdom's micro-component modeling approach to the province; | | high |
| #Q026 | administrative | operational | guidance | IFIM Integration in EFN Assessments | aquatic life | The incorporation of local knowledge into Environmental Flow Needs assessments, in a manner similar to that used in the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM), warrants consideration in Ontario; | | high |
| #Q027 | operational | operational | recommended | Collaborative Water Sharing Adoption | agricultural water | The collaborative approach used by the Innisfil Creek Water Users Association, in which irrigators collaboratively developed and own an Integrated Water Management Strategies and Proactive Drought Plan, should be considered for wider adoption across Ontario; | | high |
| #Q028 | administrative | operational | recommended | Dedicated Water Court Establishment | other | The creation of a lower level, dedicated water court should be considered for handling water-related disputes before they are elevated to the Environmental Review Tribunal. | For handling water-related disputes | high |
| #Q029 | administrative | operational | guidance | Integrated Management in Non-CWA Areas | other | An integrated management approach would be advisable in areas or watersheds where surface water and groundwater interaction are measurable (e.g. Norfolk Sandplain) but fall outside the mandate of the CWA and Source Protection. | Areas or watersheds where surface water and groundwater interaction are measurable but outside Clean Water Act (CWA) mandate. | high |
| #Q030 | operational | operational | recommended | Area Based Approach for Groundwater Surface Interaction | other | Ontario should consider this type of area based approach in areas where groundwater takings may have an impact on a locally significant surface water feature, for example the Norfolk Sandplain or Whiteman's Creek. | In areas where groundwater takings may have an impact on a locally significant surface water feature. | high |
| #Q031 | administrative | reporting | guidance | Municipal Water Withdrawal Fee for Bottlers | other | Ontario's current water management framework may benefit by allowing for a municipally-determined water withdrawal fee for such operations, due to the commodification of groundwater resources. | Specifically for water bottling operations. | high |
| #Q032 | administrative | operational | recommended | Assessment Scale Flexibility | other | Assessments should have the flexibility to be completed on an area basis in addition to a site/ local basis; | | high |
| #Q033 | administrative | reporting | guidance | Riparian Rights Public Education | other | Ontario could improve the general understanding around water entitlements with respect to riparian rights and existing permitted takers; | | high |
| #Q034 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | PTTW Complaint Reporting | other | PTTWs also generally include complaints reporting requirements, in which the permit holder must report to the MECP about any complaints received regarding their water taking activities. | Standard terms and conditions within Permits to Take Water (PTTW). | high |