EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill enacts the Stormwater Flood Prevention Act, 2024 to require the Minister to publish a final version of the Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Guidance Manual in the form of a guidance document that provides technical and procedural guidance for planning, design and operation of stormwater management practices. The Act also requires the Minister to prepare a report, 10 years from the day the guidance document is published and every 10 years thereafter, reviewing the adequacy of those guidelines, and to publish that report.

Bill 168 2024

An Act to implement the Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Guidance Manual and to report on stormwater management guidelines periodically

Preamble

Total annual precipitation in Ontario is expected to increase over the next three decades, posing a risk to flood mitigation infrastructure and urban and rural stormwater management systems. Stormwater management is required to maintain the health of streams, lakes and aquatic life, and to mitigate the effects of urban development on natural drainage systems. Proactive adaptation of stormwater management systems will help reduce the risk of flood and the expected financial burden on Ontario municipalities and residents. New development guidelines and regular review of guideline adequacy will help ensure that Ontario is building developments based on lessons learned and the most up-to-date technical and climate modelling and forecasts. These guidelines are vital to sustainable and resilient developments that do not increase the risk of local flooding.

Therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1 In this Act,

“Manual” means the Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Guidance Manual, prepared by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, that was posted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario on January 27, 2022; (“manuel”)

“Minister” means the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks or such other member of the Executive Council as may be assigned the administration of this Act under the Executive Council Act. (“ministre”)

Publication of Manual as guidance document

2 The Minister shall, within 12 months after the day this Act receives Royal Assent, publish a final version of the Manual on a Government of Ontario website in the form of a guidance document that provides technical and procedural guidance for planning, design and operation of stormwater management practices that can be consulted for the purposes of environmental compliance approvals under section 53 of the Ontario Water Resources Act.

Report to Assembly

3 (1)  Ten years from the day the document described in section 2 is published, and every 10 years thereafter, the Minister shall, within 90 days after that day, prepare a report reviewing the adequacy of stormwater management guidelines and table the report before the Assembly.

Same, if Assembly not in session

(2)  If the Assembly is not in session on the day the Minister is to table the report, the Minister shall deposit the report with the Clerk of the Assembly.

Publication

(3)  The Minister shall publish the report on a Government of Ontario website within five days after the report is tabled before the Assembly or after the report is deposited with the Clerk of the Assembly, as the case may be.

Commencement

4 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

5 The short title of this Act is the Stormwater Flood Prevention Act, 2024.