The Ontario government is pushing back on claims that it is trying to privatize water, but experts and advocates are saying the province’s explanation fails to ease concerns about its plans.
At a press conference at the Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant in Mississauga on Nov. 14, Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles gave a statement accusing Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives of attempting to restructure water delivery by moving to a private, for-profit model.
Through Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, the provincial government is proposing a restructuring of water and wastewater service delivery that would allow it to designate a corporation to provide water and sewage services to lower-tier municipalities that meet specific requirements. These corporations would not be crown corporations or administrative units of the province.
Currently, water and wastewater treatment are handled by municipal and regional governments, with some communities contracting out operations to third parties like the Ontario Clean Water Agency.
