Bill 9: Waters Act

This bill directly affects anyone in Nunavut who uses water or deposits waste in connection with a commercial activity — including mining and resource extraction companies, construction contractors, industrial operators, and outfitters. Businesses that currently hold or are applying for federal water licences will have those licences and applications automatically transferred to the territorial regime. Day-to-day impacts include applying to the Nunavut Water Board for type A or type B licences, meeting water quality and effluent standards, posting financial security, and complying with monitoring and reporting conditions. Operations that are near or on Inuit Owned Lands face additional compensation obligations to the designated Inuit organization if their water use may substantially affect water quality, quantity, or flow across those lands. Both small-scale operators and large resource developers are affected, with larger undertakings facing the more rigorous type A licence process including mandatory public hearings and ministerial approval.