The work underway to address the water capacity constraint is comprehensive and includes several key external working groups who meet regularly. These groups include members of area municipalities, the construction industry, real estate industry, and development community. Regional staff share information and facilitate discussions that help to advance solutions and support growth. These groups are in addition to the Region of Waterloo Task Force which meets twice a week, is led by the CAO and includes staff from planning and development, water operations, finance, human resources, government relations, and communications.

Waterloo Region CAO Group

This group meets bi-weekly to allow Regional staff to update Area Municipalities on upcoming activities and gather feedback on potential priority agenda items. It also provides an opportunity for Area Municipalities to ask questions and increase alignment on joint priorities.

Membership:

• Region of Waterloo staff
• All Area CAO’s
• Area Municipal staff  

Development Stakeholder Group

This group provides a forum to discuss matters related to development application reviews and approvals in light of the Mannheim water capacity constraint. In this group, the Region shares information and updates, including solutions and associated timelines. It also allows discussion and consultation on other initiatives related to the Mannheim water capacity constraint matter such as conservation, white papers and communications.

Membership:

• Regional technical and planning staff
• Representatives from Build Urban
• Representatives from Waterloo Region Home Builders Association
• Representatives from the Industrial Commercial Institution Industry
• Area Municipal Planning staff

Region of Waterloo Technical Working Group 

Regional technical staff meet to evaluate the specific short-, medium- and long-term solutions, helping work through the technical steps, challenges and decisions needed to move solutions forward.

Membership:

• Region of Waterloo technical staff 

Waterloo Region Technical Focused Working Group 

This group meets to evaluate the proposed short, medium and long term water capacity solutions, to brainstorm new ideas to streamline these ideas and to look at alternate solutions. This group provides an opportunity to share information with municipal technical counterparts and to work on solutions together.

Membership:

• Region of Waterloo and Area Municipal staff
• Representatives from CIMA+
• Associated Engineering
• Colliers Project Leaders
• Dillon Consulting Limited
• R.V. Anderson Associates Limited
• Sahely Water Engineering Ltd. (SWEL)
• SLR Consulting
• Stantec
• Tree Frog Environmental

Waterloo Region Planning Focused Working Group 

This group is being led by Regional Planning staff with support from Dillon Consulting to facilitate Planning discussions and action items with Area Municipalities.

This group facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the technical review and ongoing work informing the understanding of water capacity. The group coordinates and collaborates on planning, development and data matters related to the water capacity constraint in the Mannheim Service Areas and associated communications.

Discussions are also facilitates on Planning Act tools and the interim approach to development application approvals in the Mannheim Service Area with an effort to establishing a consistent approach across the Area Municipalities.

Membership:

• Region of Waterloo planning staff
• Area Municipal planning staff 

 Water Conservation Interim Approach Stakeholder Group

This group provides background research and evaluation of all possible water conservation measures. It seeks input and ideas from the stakeholders around conservation ideas and provides recommendations and options on new water conservation policy.

Membership:

• Region of Waterloo staff
• Area Municipal staff
• Waterloo Region Home Builders Association
• Build Urban
• REEP Green Solutions
• Sustainable Waterloo Region
• Grand River Conservation Authority
• Grand River Environmental Network

Risk-Based Interim Approach Group 

The objective of this group is develop a risk-based interim approach that allows staged development to continue once certain thresholds or operational targets are met and the water system is operating sustainably with adequate operational resiliency.

Membership:

• Region of Waterloo staff
• Area Municipal staff from the City of Cambridge, the City of Kitchener, the City of Waterloo and the Township of Woolwich 

Region of Waterloo Communications 

This group is designed to ensure that communications work moves ahead collaboratively, effectively and at pace. The group works to create clear messaging for the community through a variety of methods, responds to issues and requests, creates materials to ensure stakeholders are updated and ensures information is accessible.

Membership:

• Region of Waterloo communications staff

Waterloo Region Communications 

This group is established to share communications information with Area Municipalities and identify Area Municipal communications issues and address where possible.

Membership:

• Region of Waterloo communications
• Area Municipal communications leads