WHEREAS the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority requires that a report be filed in support of a Community Water Well License and this report requires the hiring of a consultant to file the necessary reports in support of the water well; and

WHEREAS this requirement places an extraordinary burden on the dollars required to complete a community water well as the cost of consultants is often more than 50% of the total cost to complete the water well and does not guarantee a productive/successful well;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Provincial Government to streamline the process to make the construction of a community water well a more simple and economic process.

Response from Honourable Dustin Duncan, Minister of Environment:

The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority requires a professional assessment of the potential ground water supply to ensure it meets short and long-term needs. Involving appropriate expertise also helps ensure sustainability of the supply, increases the security of investments in water supply infrastructure, ensures potential impacts to other users are identified and mitigated and helps ensure projects are technically feasible and environmentally acceptable. Although involvement of a professional cannot guarantee that the ground water supply will always meet the users' needs, it helps ensure that the costs of well development are kept to a minimum and the well supply is adequate and sustainable. The Authority is sensitive to the potential costs associated with a professional ground water assessment, but in many cases running out of water is not an acceptable option.