Watersheds We Help Protect

Erin Spring, Canada

Blue Triton has been a proud community partner, environmental steward, and employer in Wellington County for over 20 years. Water supply sustainability is as critical to BlueTriton as it is to the community. 

Blue Triton bottles water from the Erin Spring Site at the Aberfoyle facility in Puslinch, near the City of Guelph, in Southern Ontario. The Erin Spring Site is located in the Township of Erin in Wellington County. Pumping for commercial purposes from an on-site well, referred to as TW1-88, began in 2000 (see Figure 1 for the well location). The water is piped to a nearby stainless steel water storage silo that is used for short-term storage where highway tanker trucks are filled. The water taking is governed by a Permit to Take Water (PTTW) issued by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), which allows BlueTriton to withdraw water at an instantaneous rate of up to 773 L/min for a total of 1,113,000 L/day. 

QUICK FACTS*
Conserved Acres: 177
Total Acres: 203.89
2023 Withdrawals (Mgal): 10.7
Water Stress: Low

BlueTriton has conducted testing and studies over the years to ensure that their operations do not diminish the quality and availability of water for other users or the environment. Permit conditions require BlueTriton to monitor the natural and pumping-related variations in groundwater and surface water levels. Additionally, BlueTriton evaluates wetland vegetation, species diversity, and stream flow to ensure that the groundwater withdrawal does not affect the habitat of water-dependent ecology. 

BlueTriton is dedicated to managing the water source for long-term sustainability because our business depends on it and because it is the right thing to do. There have been no adverse impacts on the aquifer or ecosystems resulting from over 20 years of operations at the Erin site. 

Supply Well TW1-88 
An aquifer is a highly permeable rock or sand formation that stores and transmits significant quantities of water. An aquitard is an impermeable rock or clay formation that impedes the movement of groundwater. 

Figure 1. BlueTriton Erin Spring Property

In the Erin Spring area, groundwater for water supplies is typically derived from a surficial sand and gravel aquifer or a dolostone bedrock aquifer. The surficial overburden aquifer and the upper bedrock aquifer (Guelph Formation) supply water to surrounding residences. BlueTriton’s well TW1-88 withdraws water from the upper bedrock aquifer. Since its original construction, the well has been enlarged and filled with cement in the bottom portion of the hole to improve water quality. The current well configuration consists of an 8” diameter stainless steel casing set through the overburden and 2.3 m into the bedrock. Water enters the well from the upper bedrock aquifer (open portion of hole) between 21.8 and 39.0 meters below ground. The upper bedrock and surficial sand and gravel aquifers are separated by a till aquitard, which resists the flow of water between the two aquifers. 

TW1-88 Permit 
BlueTriton is permitted to take water from TW1-88 at a rate of up to 773 L/min, or a maximum of 1,113,000 L/day. BlueTriton does not withdraw this full amount of water since water is only withdrawn when it is needed for bottling operations. The current permit expires on November 15, 2026. 

Site Monitoring 
Independent scientists are contracted by BlueTriton to monitor the groundwater system, surface water features, wetlands, and natural environment at the Erin site. Water extraction rates from TW1-88 are recorded by BlueTriton and reported to the MECP. Monitoring efforts are designed so that BlueTriton’s operations do not adversely affect the groundwater, surface water, and natural environments. 

The groundwater and surface water monitoring program consists of monitoring at 37 points within 1.3 km of TW1-88 as follows: 

  • TW1-88 (production well);

  • 8 monitoring well nests with two wells each (a total of 16 wells) that are completed at various
    levels in the bedrock and the overburden;

  • 5 surface water stations to measure stream and pond levels;

  • 7 mini-piezometer nests (a total of 14 piezometers) to measure shallow groundwater levels; and

  • 1 private well.

The ecological monitoring consists of:

  • Aquatic monitoring;

  • Terrestrial monitoring; and

  • Water temperature monitoring.

Summary
BlueTriton takes its environmental stewardship responsibilities seriously and is committed to sustainable management of natural resources. BlueTriton’s Erin water withdrawal activity has not resulted in adverse impacts to groundwater, surface water, wetlands, or other natural resources. 

RESOURCES & INFORMATION

BlueTriton is committed to increasing the transparency of our operations and water stewardship practices through our Reading Room.

Questions about Erin Spring or the information contained in this summary can be directed to:

btbsustainability@bluetriton.com

Water withdrawals at Erin Spring are regulated by:

• Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP)

*Footnotes:

  1. Conserved Acres represents the total land under management by BlueTriton that is where the natural environment is protected from development and pollution through the responsible management, development, and use of natural resources.

  2. Total Acres represents the total land under management by BlueTriton, including watersheds and wetlands. 

  3. Annual Withdrawals represent the total volume of freshwater withdrawn from spring sources during the reporting period. 

  4. Water Stress is an aggregate measure of basin physical risk which combines water scarcity, flooding, water quality and ecosystem services status. Water stress is calculated for each region using the WWF Water Risk Filter Tool. 

  5. % Annual Watershed Precipitation means the amount of water that falls on an appropriately defined amount of land (e.g., watershed) that is relevant to a specific spring source in a year.