ontario regulation 138/25

made under the

Ontario Water Resources Act

Made: June 26, 2025
Filed: June 27, 2025
Published on e-Laws: June 27, 2025
Published in The Ontario Gazette: July 12, 2025

Amending O. Reg. 525/98

(APPROVAL EXEMPTIONS)

1. Subsection 1 (1) of Ontario Regulation 525/98 is amended by adding the following definitions:

“low impact development works” means a storm water management works for managing rain and other precipitation as close as possible to where the precipitation falls to mitigate the impacts of increased runoff and storm water pollution; (“réseau d’installations à faible incidence”)

“storm water management works” means any sewage works for storm water and includes a storm water management facility. (“réseau de gestion des eaux pluviales”)

2. Section 3 of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

Storm water management works

3. Subsections 53 (1) and (3) of the Act do not apply to the use, operation, establishment, alteration, extension or replacement of or a change in a storm water management works that,

(a)  is designed to service one lot or parcel of land;

(b)  discharges into a storm sewer that is not a combined sewer;

(c)  does not service industrial land or a structure located on industrial land; and

(d)  is not located on industrial land.

3. (1) Subsection 4 (1) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “storm water management facility” in the portion before clause (a) and substituting “low impact development works”.

(2) Subsections 4 (2) and (3) of the Regulation are revoked.

4. The Regulation is amended by adding the following section:

Drainage works owned by transit authorities

11. (1) Subsections 53 (1) and (3) of the Act do not apply to a drainage works that is owned by Metrolinx or another transit authority where the main purpose of the works is to collect and drain storm water from passenger rail tracks.

(2) In this section,

“Metrolinx” means the corporation continued under section 2 of the Metrolinx Act, 2006.

Commencement

5. This Regulation comes into force on the later of July 1, 2025 and the day this Regulation is filed.