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For decades, groundwater has flowed beneath the farms and forests of Hinchinbrooke, Que., a rural municipality about 75 kilometres southwest of Montreal near the U.S. border. Now, a proposal to build a second groundwater bottling facility has thrust that invisible resource into the centre of a growing local debate.<\/p>\n
While Quebec’s Environment Ministry says the project meets provincial regulations, residents, farmers and a newly formed advocacy group argue that critical questions remain unanswered \u2014 specifically, how much water the region’s aquifer can sustainably provide in the face of climate change and population growth.<\/p>\n
The site is owned by a numbered company, 2961-4179 Qu\u00e9bec Inc., which holds provincial permits allowing it to withdraw up to 160 million litres of groundwater annually. <\/p>\n
The location sits across the road from an existing bottling plant that has extracted millions of litres each year for decades.<\/p>\n
For opponents, the core issue is not just whether enough groundwater exists today, but whether decision-makers fully understand the long-term demands facing the aquifer.<\/p>\n
WATCH | Quebec says bottling plant project meets provincial regulations:![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784041753_636_default.jpg\")
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Debate sparks in Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie municipality over plans for second water bottling plant<\/p>\n
Residents of Hinchinbrooke in southern Quebec are raising concerns over plans for a second groundwater bottling facility. Quebec\u2019s Environment Ministry says the project meets provincial regulations, but opponents argue the region is already facing increasing pressure on its groundwater supply.<\/p>\n
Bethany Lee, co-founder of Protect Our Water Source, helped launch the citizens’ group after learning about the proposal. She says Quebec should have a clearer picture of how much groundwater is available \u2014 and how much is already being used \u2014 before approving additional commercial withdrawals.<\/p>\n
“When it comes to factors such as climate change and population growth, those are newer factors,” Lee said. “It may be time for a watershed-level analysis.”<\/p>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784041753_550_default.jpg\")
Bethany Lee stands in front of the cleared site for the second bottling facility. (Chris Kurys\/CBC)Farmers call project shortsighted<\/p>\n
Those concerns resonate with local farmer Ian Ward, who grows about 40 varieties of vegetables a few kilometres from the proposed facility.<\/p>\n
“On our farm specifically, if we didn’t have water all of a sudden, our crops would last about a week before they start to flower and become unsellable,” Ward said.<\/p>\n
Ward says farmers have spent years improving irrigation efficiency and reducing water consumption, leading him to question the prudence of expanding commercial groundwater extraction before the aquifer undergoes a comprehensive study.<\/p>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784041754_139_default.jpg\")
Ian Ward has spent time and resources reducing the water usage on his farm. (CBC)<\/p>\n
“We know there’s enough water in that specific location for them to pull 160 million litres,” he said. “But who else is using that water, and how much are they using? And how much are we going to be using in the next 10 to 20 years with climate change?”<\/p>\n