The Water Environment Association of Ontario attracted some 750 delegates to its April conference as well as Ontario Environment & Energy Minister Norm Sterling and former Minister Brenda Elliott who was chairing public hearings into Bill 107 in the same building. The minister touched on the debate surrounding Bill 107, the Water and Sewage Services Improvement Act.

Outgoing WEAO President Dean Edwardson, Laidlaw, Rhonda Harris, WEF Vice President, and Peter Nicol, WEF Director, CH2M G&S.

He said the central function of the bill was to improve water and sewage services in Ontario by clarifying the role of government and increasing its accountability. The bill proposes to:

· give Ontario municipalities full title to provincially-owned water and sewage treatment plants serving their communities;

· transfer to municipalities responsibilities for the septic system program, including inspections and approvals.

He said that municipalities have already shown they can deliver high quality water and sewage treatment services to their communities. After all, they now own about 75 percent of Ontario's treatment facilities. With passage of Bill 107, they would be the sole level of government holding title to water and sewage plants in Ontario.

"Many local governments have told us they want us to move in this direction," he said. "In fact, almost 60 municipalities made this request even before we introduced Bill 107.

"Right now, the province is in an ambiguous position, almost in a conflict of interest position, being a regulator, owner, operator and funder of water and sewage services. Bill 107 would end this conflict situation," he stressed.

"Municipalities need the kind of flexibility provided by this bill. Our proposed legislation would allow municipalities to deliver water and sewage services, as most do now, and to choose the operator that best suits their needs.

"There will be advantages for the taxpayer as well. Fewer levels of government administration means increased efficiency and decreased cost."

He said the bill would help the provincial government focus on its real job which was setting tough performance standards for water and sewage treatment plants ­ and then ensuring those tough standards were met.

"It will also encourage continued public control of water and sewage works, thereby protecting the taxpayer's best interest and investment. Municipalities would be prevented from selling all or part of their water and sewage works to the private sector until they have repaid any and all provincial capital grants received since 1978.

"Some water and sewage works provide service to more than one municipality, meaning they are jointly responsible for the debts. In the case of these arrangements ­ called area plans ­ the works will be transferred to the serviced municipalities through a joint management structure."

The minister then touched upon a long neglected area ­ septic systems. "Bill 107 also calls for the transfer of responsibility to municipalities for the septic system program, including inspections and approvals. The province would stay in the game by intensifying its role in the training and licencing of septic system installers and inspectors," he stressed.