Water supply master plan

The City has updated its 2014 Water Supply Master Plan (the Master Plan) to review our drinking water sources and identify priorities for our water supply, including sustainable municipal water supply options, from now until 2051.

The Master Plan provides short-, mid- and long-term water supply options to ensure we can continue to meet the demands of Guelph’s growing population. Existing and new water supply options were investigated --including new groundwater and surface water sources in and outside of Guelph. Through analysis and evaluation of alternative projects, and input from the public, Indigenous Peoples, a Community Liaison Group, and agency and municipality consultation, the recommended preferred water supply alternatives were selected and refined, and next steps were identified for how the City may proceed with future water supply projects.

What we’ve heard so far
Over the course of the project, two public open houses were hosted to discuss and gather feedback on the Water Supply Master Plan update. The first took place in February of 2020 and focused on determining the criteria for selecting the alternatives. The second took place in September 2021 and focused on evaluating the preliminary alternatives to identify the best solutions to move forward. Communications regarding the status of the project were also available on the project website, and progress updates were provided through agency and municipality meetings, and community liaison group meetings.

Questions, comments and feedback from the sessions, along with responses to the online surveys were compiled in the phase 1 engagement results, and phase 2 engagement results.

What’s next?

The full draft Master Plan update is being placed on public record for a 90-day review period in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process. This period began on January 10, 2022. Please provide all written comments by April 10, 2022 (within 90 days of the Notice of Completion being issued).

View the Water Supply Master Plan Update Draft Final Report - Executive Summary
View the Water Supply Master Plan Update Draft Final Report - Full Report

Please submit your comments and questions to the Project Team members listed under the “Who’s Listening” section.

A hard copy is available for reference at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library. All comments will become part of the public record of the Master Plan update with the exception of personal information.

Visit the Water Supply Master Plan project page for updates.