Q-2 - Environment Quality Act

Section 31.91 Disposition versions

2011-09-01

31.91. In addition to the conditions prescribed by sections 31.92 and 31.93 and those the Government or the Minister may prescribe under other provisions of this Act, a transfer out of the St. Lawrence River Basin resulting from a new withdrawal from the Basin, or an increased transfer out of the Basin resulting from such a withdrawal or a withdrawal existing on 1 September 2011, may be authorized under the following conditions:

(1)  all water transferred out of the Basin is intended to supply a waterworks system serving all or part of the population of a local municipality whose territory is either

(a)  partly within the Basin; or

(b)  both wholly outside the Basin and wholly within a regional county municipality whose territory is partly within the Basin; and

(2)  all water transferred out of the Basin is to be returned to the Basin, with preference to the direct St. Lawrence River tributary stream watershed from which it was withdrawn, if applicable, less an allowance for consumptive use. No water from outside the Basin may be added to complete the quantity of water returned to the Basin unless

(a)  it is part of a water supply or waste water treatment system that combines water from inside and outside the Basin;

(b)  it is treated to meet applicable water quality or discharge standards and to prevent the introduction of invasive species into the Basin; and

(c)  it maximizes the portion of water from within the Basin and minimizes the portion from outside the Basin.

For the purposes of this section, “new withdrawal” means any water withdrawal authorized after 1 September 2011.

The Minister shall publish in the Gazette officielle du Québec a list of the local municipalities and regional county municipalities whose territory is partly within the Basin for the purposes of subparagraphs a and b of subparagraph 1 of the first paragraph.

2009, c. 21, s. 19.