b'OSWCA 50TH ANNIVERSARYWith the implementation of2010-2020a successful industry fund, OSWCA was ready toOSWCA continued to address major regulatory and work with governmentlegislative issues on behalf of members.to advance the business of water and wastewater Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act industry issues to benefit otherwise known as the One Call Act was passed to members, such as Paycentralize utility locates to a single call before you Assurance, Unilateraldig organization.Access to Arbitration, Soils Disclosure, Full-Cost Recovery Permit to Take Water regula-Rates, and universal water metering.tions were revised twice due to OSWCA lobbying 2000-2010 efforts, making the registration process and OSWCA was actively involved inrequirements much easier several industry initiatives.to abide by, and helping to differentiate betweenPay Assuranceobligationswater taking (i.e., water bottling plant) and water were added to developermoving (i.e., construction dewatering). agreements between the municipality and theShuttering of the Ontario College of Tradesthis developer so as to provideorganization operated under a mandate that was an avenue for Associationdividing up the trades and limiting what tasks and members to be paid if thepractices labourers were allowed to do on a project work has been certified andsite. It was creating further scarcity of labour supply accepted. in an industry already in desperate need for more workers. By successfully working to eliminate OCOT,Safety GroupsThe decadewe were able to preserve the ongoing work practices saw the introduction ofin the industry.safety groups to reduceGrowing investment in water and wastewater the frequency andinfrastructurethis continues to be our primary severity of accidentsmandate. Over the last decade we have seen annual in the industry and toinvestments grow to well over $1 billion per year in help members to receivethe province. We continue to lobby for further adop-refunds on some of thetion of a dedicated stormwater tax at the municipal WSIB rates for participation. level to increase the available pool of funding for annual construction work, as well as for green Sustainable Water and Sewageinfrastructure funding from the federal government Systems ActPassage ofto invest in stormwater mitigation. the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act put theIncreasing the Association OSWCA at the headfootprint by developing of its class. Water ratesstrategic partnerships with increased even withoutother construction and regulations in place,engineering associations which resulted in millionsand enhancing our of municipal dollars beingcommunications outreach available for needed water andto members to understand sewage infrastructure improvementswhat issues are impacting across the province. projects in real time.H 2 OSWCAWinter 2020/202123'