Wilmot temporarily suspends water-taking policy as Waterloo Region deals with capacity issue

Wilmot council has passed a motion to protect the township's water supply, as Waterloo Region seeks solutions for its capacity problem.

Wilmot Township has passed a motion aimed at protecting its water source.

It comes as the Region of Waterloo works to address a serious water capacity issue within the Mannheim Service Area, which includes Waterloo, Kitchener, parts of Cambridge and some of the townships.

The region is considering pulling more groundwater from wells in Wilmot Township.

• TIMELINE: Water capacity concerns in Waterloo Region

That would require altering a decades-old water sharing agreement.

Natasha Salonen, Wilmot’s mayor, hoped any changes would be temporary.

“What I’m going to be asking for is that right now, temporarily, suspend what the water taking policy is from 1980, and then regional council can re-access it when they have all of that additional information and, in the meantime, that does allow for growth,” she said at Monday night’s council meeting.