WHEREAS the City of Port Moody supports universal access to clean, safe water for all generations, now and throughout the future, by supporting publicly and cooperatively controlled water services that have genuine community participation: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities call on the Government of Canada to implement measures in federal bilateral and multilateral agreements and policies that prevent the privatization of water services; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities call on the Government of Canada to implement measures in federal bilateral and multilateral agreements and policies that prevent the bulk export of water resources.
NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA Regarding Resolution B147 - Privatization of Water Services, the federal government has significant responsibilities related to water management including navigation, fisheries, international boundary waters, agriculture, Aboriginal and federal lands, management of toxic substances, and health and the environment. Provinces legislate in most areas of water use, but some authorities are delegated to local governments, conservation authorities and other agencies, e.g. the treatment of drinking and wastewater. Consequently, whether to enter into public-private partnerships for water services is essentially a decision for the municipal and provincial levels of government. Using public-private partnerships to deliver water and wastewater services does not affect the authority of Canadian governments to manage water as a natural resource nor set water quality standards, guidelines, price or other policies pertaining to water. Resolution B147 also refers to bulk water exports. The withdrawal of water in large volumes from lakes, rivers or underground aquifers can have serious impacts on both the ecology an the economy of communities that depend on these waters. In response to these and other concerns, the federal government announced, in 1999, a strategy to prohibit bulk water withdrawals from Canadian boundary basins. The federal strategy recognizes the primary responsibility of the provinces and territories for water management. For its part, the federal government acted to protect the Great lakes and other boundary waters with amendments to the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act. These amendments include a prohibition on the bulk water withdrawal from Canadas boundary waters, primarily the Great Lakes.