Water Act

What is the status of the Water Act and regulations?

The Water Act was passed in the legislature in the fall of 2017. Since then, regulations that will put the Act into practice have been developed. The third set of regulations, the Proposed Water Withdrawal Regulations, is now available for public consultation. The proposed regulations and plain language guides are available below:

• Proposed Water Withdrawal Regulations
• Plain Language Summary
• Frequently Asked Questions

Can I comment on the proposed regulations?

Yes, you can submit your comments on both of the proposed regulations below. 

Previous Water Act Regulations Consultations

The first two sets of regulations, the Proposed Well Construction Regulations and the Proposed Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Systems Regulations were opened for consultation in March, 2019.  The proposed regulations and plain language documents remain available for each set of regulations below:

• Proposed Well Construction Regulations
• Proposed Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Systems Regulations

How was the Water Act created?

A white paper was released in 2015 followed by public consultations conducted by the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC).   Visit A Water Act for PEI website for information from the 2015 consultations and the EAC 2016 Water Act Public Consultation Report.

Additional public consultations occurred during the spring of 2017 on a draft Act.  From the consultations, government developed the Water Act that was passed in 2017. 

Companion documents and comments from the 2017 consultation process and the development of the Water Act are available below:

• Water Act - Policy Framework – Explains the policies and background that formulate the construction of the draft Act.​
• Water Act Public Consultation Meetings Presentation – The government presentation from the public consultation meetings.​
• Addressing the Recommendations from the EAC Water Act Public Consultations – Identification of the parts of the draft Act where recommendations from the 2016 Water Act Public Consultation Report have been addressed.
• Water Act - highlighted version – This document shows the changes that have been made as a result of public consultation.
• Inside the Water Act – A summary document that explains the components of the draft Act.​
• Water Act Section Summary – A quick summary of the various sections of the Water Act. ​
• Water Act Presentation – A presentation regarding the Water Act. 
• Comments from the 2017 consultation process.