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Municipal Drinking Water

February 10, 2020

There are some organizational changes that are happening in the Environmental Assessment and Permissions Division (EAPD) that will impact departments that you may be regularly interacting with.  As MECP permissions programs evolves, these organizational refinements will enable MECP to effectively deliver services and continue to be responsive to the needs of our clients.

Effective February 10 2020, the former Environmental Assessment and Permissions Branch will be reorganized to form two distinct branches: 

  1. The Environmental Permissions Branch and;  
  2. The Environmental Assessment Branch.   

​This change is an opportunity to ensure a dedicated focus to the ongoing modernization of the environmental assessment program and a continued focus on the review and issuance of environmental permissions in Ontario.

  • As part of these changes, a dedicated section in the Environmental Permissions Branch will be created for the municipal sector.
  • The new Municipal Water and Wastewater Permissions Section will still be responsible for municipal drinking water licences (MDWLs)  and drinking water works permits (DWWP) and the process for applying and receiving these permissions has not changed. 
  • However, in addition to MDWLs and DWWPs, this new section will also lead the technical and engineering review of applications for other environmental permissions, including Environmental Compliance Approvals for municipal sewage systems and municipal stormwater management systems.    
  • Ministry staff that you interact with for the Municipal Drinking Water Licensing Program will remain the same and no contact information has changed at this time.  

If you have any questions related to municipal wastewater or stormwater approvals, you are welcome to contact MECP. 
The MECP is looking forward to continuing to work with you as we enhance Ontario’s environmental permissions program.