A voluntary declaration campaign for water withdrawals in the Châteauguay Zone (PSREE - 2023-2024)
What is it?
The goal of this project is to release information on the number of litres of surface and groundwater withdrawn each year by large-scale abstractors in the Châteauguay zone. According to data obtained by the OBV SCABRIC, a total of 490 withdrawals must be declared annually to the MELCCFP. This data is not available to facilitate integrated water management of the territory and mitigate conflicts of use. We need to start approaching water users according to an order of priority established by the organization. An approach will be made to each of the targeted abstractors to encourage them to make this information available to the public via an interactive map hosted on the OBV website, and to update it annually thereafter. This approach will be disseminated as widely as possible so that the new accessible data can be used by all concerned.
What do we do?
OBV SCABRIC is meeting with the territory’s major water abstractors to try to gather their data on their annual water withdrawals. Ultimately, we’d like to obtain the same information that water abstractors submit to the Ministry of the Environment every year, to make the risks of water shortages and potential conflicts of use available and understandable to the various decision-makers. It is important to understand the reluctance and motivations for sharing or not sharing certain data associated with water abstraction. Declarations are made on a voluntary basis. We are working to make this information public, on an online map, in a format that respects standards, but allows informed decision-making. We’re also going to carry out an annual follow-up of all participants to obtain new data each year.
OBV SCABRIC is responsible for:
- To restructure the existing database of large-scale samplers;
- Planning and conducting the data collection campaign;
- Conducting interviews and solicitations for the campaign;
- Updating the database of large-scale harvesters;
- Developing and distributing the major harvester map.
What are the best practices for managing water withdrawals?
Collecting data from major water users allows us to paint a picture of water consumption and estimate future needs for various agricultural, industrial and municipal activities. In fact, water withdrawal practices must be adapted to the reality of water resources and aquatic environments. In agriculture, the application of the most efficient cultivation techniques reduces the volume of water used and guarantees its quality. In the event of drought, water use restrictions can be applied on a case-by-case basis. In the industrial sector, it’s possible to think in terms of the circular economy: for example, one company’s wastewater can become another’s input. In urban environments, we’re thinking more in terms of water-saving practices.
- PAD Saint-Rémi
- Assisting in the development of municipal drinking water source protection plans (PEPPSEP)
- Water Master Plan
- Improving the quality of wastewater released to surface water by companies that are required to declare them, and by those who wish to voluntarily engage in a process of disclosure and improvement of their aquatic discharges.
- Provide access to and update available data on water withdrawals and availability.
Overview and history
This is the first project to implement a transparent decision-support tool for planning the quantities of surface and groundwater available. Once up and running, such a tool will be useful throughout the province of Quebec.
OBV SCABRIC is the project leader for the dissemination of water withdrawals financed until January 2025 by the Programme de soutien régional aux enjeux de l’eau (PSREE).
For more information!
Contact our project managers at projet@scabric.ca.
