Protecting Wilmot's Water

Citizens for Safe Ground Water Questionnaire

1. Protecting Local Water:

How will you use your role as Mayor or Councillor to prioritize rural drinking water security and sustainable groundwater management in Wilmot?

If elected as Mayor, I will advocate to strengthen Wilmot's Official Plan to create better long-term protection for our groundwater, private wells and drinking-water supply. I will also seek community input and incorporate it.

Before Wilmot's new Official Plan came to Council for approval, volunteers and experts met with our current Councillors to discuss concerns and provide examples of stronger policies, including policies in Kitchener and Woolwich’s new Official Plan.

When the Official Plan came to Council, a motion was made to delay its approval for eight months, in case there are strong policies developed by other municipalities for their new Official Plans. That motion failed. Council then voted on approving the Official Plan, with two councilors voting against it.

What concerns me is that Council already had information about specific policies that could strengthen our Official Plan. Yet before the final vote, no Councillor brought forward specific amendments to add stronger groundwater protections to Wilmot's Official Plan. Because of this, our township lacks the water protection other municipalities have. 

If elected as Mayor, I will advocate to change our policies so that major development considers impacts on groundwater levels, recharge, drinking-water sources, neighbouring private wells, wetlands and streams; looking at the combined pressures from development, municipal water demand, significant water takings and changes to groundwater recharge; requiring clearer water information in reports coming to Council; using independent peer review for major hydrogeological studies; and requiring baseline monitoring of nearby private wells where there is a reasonable risk of impact. 

I will advocate for a plain-language Water Impact Summary so Council and residents can see what could be affected, what the studies found, whether cumulative impacts were considered, what concerns remain, what changes are required, and whether independent peer review was completed.

Water protection should be considered earlier in our decisions about growth, land use and major development, rather than trying to address problems after decisions have already been made. Where evidence identifies an unacceptable risk, I will support requiring changes to a proposal. If those impacts cannot be adequately addressed, I will vote against the application where Wilmot Council has the legal authority to do so. 

2. Fairness & Transparency:

How will you advocate at the local and regional levels for independent oversight and full transparency whenever Wilmot private well owners experience water interference? 

I have a private well and have had to spend tens of thousands of dollars to redrill it. I understand the concern that comes with relying on a private well and wondering what impacts nearby aggregate operations, road runoff, development and other activities may have on your drinking water.

I also have concerns about the previously private well system in Petersburg that is now managed by the Region. Residents have recently raised questions about the work being completed there and whether they are receiving enough information about changes to the system.

When someone's private well drops significantly or goes dry, they should not be left on their own trying to prove what happened, find the information they need, or determine which level of government is responsible.

As Mayor and a Regional Councillor, I will advocate for a groundwater interference process that is fair, timely and transparent. Residents should have access to the groundwater, pumping and monitoring information being used to assess their concern. They should receive clear written findings explaining what was investigated, what information was considered and how the conclusion was reached. I also support independent technical review where responsibility for interference is disputed.

At the Township level, I want Wilmot to do a better job helping residents navigate Regional issues. I will bring forward the creation of a Regional Concerns Committee, where residents, businesses and community organizations can bring concerns involving Regional responsibilities such as water, Regional roads, traffic and infrastructure.

The committee would collect and organize concerns, help identify recurring issues, and provide that information to the Mayor so concerns can be raised with Regional staff or Regional Council when needed. It would also help residents understand how Regional government works and how to delegate to Regional Council when that is the appropriate next step.

As I outlined in Question 1, my groundwater policies also include measures intended to create better evidence before a problem occurs, including baseline well monitoring and independent peer review where appropriate.

3. Proactive Leadership

How will you push the Region toward proactive groundwater management, protective pumping limits and transparent data so we stop water loss before taps run dry?

We should not have to wait until someone's well drops or goes dry, or until residents tell us that a wetland or stream has dried up, before we start asking questions.

The Region operates municipal wells in Wilmot and already collects information about pumping and groundwater conditions. As Mayor, I will advocate for Wilmot Township to receive regular reporting on water use and groundwater levels from Regional wells and monitoring relevant to our Township. Council should be able to see whether pumping and groundwater conditions are changing over time.

This would allow us to ask questions earlier. Are groundwater levels stable? Has Regional pumping increased? Are there sustained changes that require investigation? Are growth, water demand or other significant water takings adding pressure to the same groundwater system?

The Regional Concerns Committee described in Question 2 would complement that information by helping us identify patterns in what residents and businesses are experiencing on the ground.

As I outlined in Question 1, my policies also call for considering the combined pressures on groundwater, rather than looking at each development or water demand in isolation. Access to regular Regional information would help Wilmot use those policies more effectively and make better-informed decisions.

I will also advocate for protective pumping limits. Wilmot has a history that shows why this matters. In 1980, a policy “The Wilmot Agreement”, was created limiting the amount of groundwater that could be taken from Wilmot wells. Regional Council voted to remove this agreement in April 2026 after learning the Region had been taking an additional 30 litres per second, for approximately six years, from the Wilmot Centre wellfield for testing purposes.

If the information shows a concerning change, I will raise it with Regional staff and ask what is happening, whether further investigation is needed, and what actions should be considered. That could include looking at Regional pumping and water demand, conservation measures, planned growth or other significant water takings. Where evidence identifies a serious concern that falls under Provincial authority, I will advocate through Regional Council for Provincial action.

On June 3, 2026, Regional Council voted 12–0 to pump an additional 15 litres per second from the Wilmot Centre wells. The Region currently plans to stop taking this additional water by January 2027.

As Mayor, I would expect greater accountability around decisions of this magnitude. I would request that Regional staff meet with Wilmot Council and local organizations working to protect our source water to explain the additional water taking, the monitoring and evidence supporting it, what has been learned, and what happens next. 

I would also want clear answers about how long the increased 30 litres a second pumping is expected to continue and what conditions would cause it to be reduced or stopped.

If the information shows a concerning change, I will raise it with Regional staff and ask what is happening, whether further investigation is needed, and what actions should be considered. That could include looking at Regional pumping and water demand, conservation measures, planned growth or other significant water takings. Where evidence identifies a serious concern that falls under Provincial authority, I will advocate through Regional Council for Provincial action.

Protecting our source water needs urgent attention. Electing people with the experience to work through these complex issues, who value community expertise and are prepared to act on the evidence, is important. We already have residents, organizations and experts doing this work. As Mayor, I will make sure their knowledge has a place at the table.