b'WATER PROTECTIONBasedontheMECPPTTWdatabase,thetotalpermittedQuarry dewateringmaximum annual taking in the province is over 200 trillion litres.Typically,dewateringoccursinquarriesbutnotnecessarilyin But not all the water that is permitted is actually taken. The MECPsand and gravel pits. Water in quarry excavations collects from trackstheactualwatertakingbyrequiringPTTWholderstoprecipitationorfromgroundwaterseepingthroughfractures monitor their daily water use and report these takings annuallyinquarrywalls.Quarryoperatorspumpthiswateroutofthe through the Water Taking Reporting System(WTRS).excavationtoallowforextraction(blastingandrecoveringof Although the permitted water takings in the aggregate industrythebedrock)onadryquarryfloor.Groundwaterseepinginto appear large, actual water takings are relatively small in comparisontheexcavationfromwater-bearingbreaks(fractures)inthe to other industries. Based on the MECP data, actual water taking atbedrock lowers the water table to the depth of the fracture break, pits and quarries for dewatering and aggregate washing purposes isreleasing the water into the quarry. This does affect groundwater less than one per cent of the total water inOntario.flow patterns around the quarry, but only locally. Except for the fractures, the bedrock itself prevents the movement of water. Before the quarry can begin operations, extensive studies are carriedouttoassessthelocalinfluenceongroundwaterflow WATER TAKINGS IN THE systems.Theareaaroundthequarryaffectedbytheproposed AGGREGATE INDUSTRY extraction is referred to as the drawdown cone or the cone of depressions. These studies determine whether private wells will be affected by the proposed drawdown cone. If it is determined that The aggregate industry often requires the management of watera well may be affected, a mitigation strategy must be developed as part of day-to-day operations, where water is handled onsite orforapprovalbyregulatoryagenciesbeforethequarrywillbe AQUA PURA discharged offsite to local surface water systems. The followingauthorized for operation. In short, a quarry is not permitted to pumping activities at aggregate operations require a PTTW fromimpact an existing water well. the MECP:The largest water use within the aggregate industry is generallyDewatering (the term used when pumping water out of a pit orwhen a quarry requires dewatering to operate in dry conditions.quarry to keep the floor of the pit or quarry dry), and Dewatering of quarries can require large takings during the spring thawandthefallwetperiods.QuarrieshandlewaterthroughIndustrial (aggregate washing and dust control). pumping from a sump area located in the lowest part of the quarry Water taking at an aggregate site: water is being discharged into a surface water system'