Commissioner Diane Saxe actually urged the government to look at all ground water permits, not just the small amount that still bottled water represents. The new fee only applies to water taken for still bottled water, so when Ice River makes sparkling water or vitamin water on lines adjacent to its still water, the new fee doesn’t apply. Bottled water isn’t even the biggest drain on ground water, even if you include sparkling water and flavoured products. That fall, the province put a moratorium on water-taking permits, but only for bottled water producers, which represent a small fraction of all the ground water permits in the province. What frustrates the industry is that it’s only still bottled water that’s subject to such a massive increase in fees.

Source: National Post May 16, 2017 20:48 UTC