WHEREAS the Union of BC Municipalities has previously endorsed a resolution supporting new provincial groundwater protection legislation and identifying a need for the Province to provide the resources and initiative to implement its legislative responsibility and authority for the provinces groundwater resource; AND WHEREAS it is recognized that although groundwater protection legislation should address all groundwater resources in the province, some areas of the province are underlain by unconfined aquifers that may be more vulnerable to contamination from certain surface activities and if these aquifers become contaminated, they may require a long time or substantial costs to resolve the impact: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province, in enacting groundwater protection legislation, ensure that the regulatory and operational requirements that apply to the commercial, industrial and development sectors be sufficiently prescriptive and effectively administered and enforced to protect the provinces unconfined aquifers from contamination and that the Province supports local government efforts to protect aquifers and their sources.
MINISTRY OF WATER, LAND AND AIR PROTECTION The ministry recognizes the vulnerability of unconfined aquifers to impacts from land use activities. Groundwater management plans will be a useful tool to address this issue in critical areas. The ministry will continue to work with the Ground Water Advisory Board to develop and enact outcome-based regulations for Phases 2 and 3 of the Ground Water Protection Regulation. The ministry will work with the British Columbia Ground Water Association and other key stakeholders to promote a high degree of voluntary compliance with industry and well owners. Water, Land and Air Protection will continue to classify, characterize and monitor high priority aquifers in the province to support local governments in their groundwater protection efforts.