Québec Water Conservation and Efficiency Program

Implementation of the Québec Water Conservation and Efficiency Program is consistent with the powers vested in the minister. These powers are specified in section 31.101 of the Environment Quality Act, which was introduced by section 19 of the Act to Affirm the Collective Nature of Water Resources and Provide for Increased Water Resource Protection.

It aims to ensure sustainable use of water resources throughout Québec and preserve the ecosystems that are dependant on them. To be sustainable, water withdrawals must not negatively affect ecosystems or conflict with other uses of water.

The Program enables the Government of Québec to meet one of the commitments it made as part of the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement. This agreement between Québec, Ontario and eight U.S. states bordering the Great Lakes – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – provides that each of the signatory provinces and states will implement a water conservation and efficiency program to improve the quantitative aspect of water management in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin.

The Program provides for implementing a number of measures to conserve water, use it efficiently and reduce waste in several sectors of activity in Québec.

1. Definitions
2. Program directions
3. Territory covered
4. Sectors of activity covered
5. Departments involved

1. Definitions

The following definitions are to be taken into account in conjunction with the Program:

• Conservation: Taking action to preserve the long-term quantity of water resources and, by extension, their quality.
• Efficient use: Striving to accomplish tasks with a minimal amount of water by reducing losses and waste or by using processes, technologies or ways of doing things that require less water and that are environmentally friendly and economically feasible.

2. Program directions

• Foster long-term sustainable water use that takes ecosystem health and varied water uses into account
• Adopt and implement a supply and demand management approach that takes into account the expected impacts of climate change
• Implement monitoring measures for water conservation and efficiency programs
• Promote scientific research, technological development, and knowledge acquisition
• Develop education programs, information sharing networks, resources and tools to mobilize all water stakeholders and users

3. Territory covered

The Program applies to all of Québec.

4. Sectors of activity covered

• Public water supply
• Self-supply commercial and institutional
• Self-supply irrigation
• Self-supply livestock
• Self-supply industrial
• Self supply thermoelectric power production
• Off-stream hydroelectric power production
• Other self-supply

5. Departments involved

• Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire (MAMROT)
• Ministère des Ressources naturelles (MRN)
• Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ)
• Ministère du Conseil exécutif (MCE) 
• Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS)
• Ministère des Finances et de l’Économie (MFE)
• Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ)
• Ministère des Relations internationales, de la Francophonie (MRIF)
• Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (MES)