WC144 SeptOct 2025 - Magazine - Page 5
EDITOR’S NOTE
PROJECTS l POLICY l INNOVATION
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 • VOLUME 25, NUMBER 5
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Stormwater Simpli昀椀ed
ONTARIO IS IN THE MIDDLE of a housing crisis. Municipalities are
under pressure to deliver new homes fast, and the water sector is
right at the center of that challenge. No home can go up without
water and wastewater systems. No community can thrive without
effective stormwater management.
That is why Ontario’s move to streamline approvals for stormwater projects
caught my attention. Starting September 1, 2025, some stormwater management
works will no longer need to wait months or even a year for an Environmental
Compliance Approval, or ECA. Instead, under a new regulation through the Environmental Protection Act, proponents can self-register projects online through
the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR). Once registered, construction can start immediately.
This change could save critical time and help housing and infrastructure
projects move forward without getting stuck in red tape. For developers and
municipalities trying to meet housing targets, that is a big deal.
Speed is not the whole story. The regulation also protects the environment.
Each project must include a report from a Licensed Engineering Practitioner, or
LEP. The report covers design, operation and maintenance plans, erosion and
sediment control, and monitoring requirements. Where needed, proponents
must have a spill contingency plan. The LEP must also assess whether the project
could pose a significant drinking water threat and show how those risks are
addressed.
So why should you, my fellow water professionals, pay attention? Three
reasons.
1. Professional Responsibility is Growing. LEPs now carry more responsibility to
ensure projects are safe and compliant. It is a big role but also a chance to lead in
climate-resilient design.
2. Municipalities Must Be Ready. Faster approvals mean projects hit construction
sooner. Municipal staff will need to keep pace with oversight, inspection, and
integration into asset management plans.
3. Public Records Expand. More projects in the EASR means a centralized database
of stormwater works. If used well, it strengthens monitoring and accountability.
This is not about lowering the bar. It is about recognizing that well-understood, lower-risk stormwater projects should not hold back urgently needed
housing. The checks and balances remain, but they are closer to the engineers
designing the systems and the municipalities overseeing them.
The water sector has long been asked to do more with less. With Ontario’s
self-registration system, we are being asked to do it faster too. For the sake of new
housing, climate-ready infrastructure, and safe communities, that is a challenge
worth embracing. Ontario is the first province to formalize self-registration for
stormwater works at this scale, but it will not be the last conversation of its kind.
Other provinces facing housing pressures, aging infrastructure, and climate risks
will be watching closely to see if this model is one they should follow.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE: NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
NUTRIENT REMOVAL | EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS | INDIGENOUS DWAs
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WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
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