Ontario has revoked the old pollution prohibition in s. 83 of the Drainage Act, saying it had become redundant:
“The ministry believes there are more effective tools to communicate the responsibility to protect water resources to those in the industry than a section in a statue that is infrequently read by the public. The ministry currently employs many of these, including the award-winning Best Management Practice booklets and Environmental Farm Plan, a number of fact-sheets and presentations to stakeholders.
Further, the local municipality assigns their responsibility for the management of municipal drains to their drainage superintendents. All drainage superintendents must attend a five day course prior to being authorized to serve as a drainage superintendent. Through this course, they are educated about their environmental obligations when performing their work. Drainage superintendents are fully aware that when they encounter polluting connections into municipal drains, they must report to the local office of the Ministry of the Environment.
Striking section 83 from the act does not change the legislative fact that drainage works constructed under the Drainage Act are subject to other legislation such as the Conservation Authorities Act, the Ontario Water Resources Act and the Fisheries Act.”
We agree that the old section served little purpose, and will not be missed.