Governance & Accountabilities
Governance
OCWA is an operational enterprise agency established in 1993 under the Capital Investment Plan Act (CIPA). The Agency's mandate is to provide water and sewage works and related services to protect human health and the environment. Its powers, mandate and governance requirements are outlined in CIPA.
OCWA is administered by a Board of Directors, the members of which are appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council on the recommendation of the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Comprised of both public servants and independent members, OCWA's Board is responsible for the overall supervision of the affairs of the Agency, including setting strategic direction, monitoring agency performance and ensuring appropriate systems and controls are in pace for the proper administration of the Agency in accordance with the Agency's governing documents. The Board is accountable to the Provincial Legislature through the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
OCWA continues to implement governance best practices at all levels of the organization to enhance transparency and accountability to clients, the government and the citizens of Ontario. We routinely review governance best practices in both the private and public sectors and implement practices as appropriate.
Accountability
OCWA is committed to being accountable to our clients, the province and the public. To achieve this we:
- Report on facility performance to our employees, clients and stakeholders;
- Publicly post the Agency’s MOU with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change;
- Generate a publicly available Annual Report that is approved by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and tabled in the Provincial Legislature;
- Produce a three-year Business Plan that is submitted annually to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks for approval and posted publicly beginning in 2015;
- Have annual attest audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General and periodic Value for Money audits;
- Comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; and
- Comply with Ontario Public Service policies and directives, including the Agencies and Appointments Directive, the Public Sector Expense Review Act, 2009 (which requires public disclosure of expenses on the Agency’s website), the Public Sector Compensation Restraint to Protect Public Services Act, 2010, the Perquisites Directive and the Procurement Directive.
Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act (FIPPA)
OCWA is subject to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act (FIPPA). The Agency has policies to assist staff in complying with the requirement of the Act and coordinates access to information requests. More information about FIPPA, including accessing public records, is available on the following websites:
Ministry of Government and Consumer Services: Office of the Chief Information and Privacy Officer
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
Request for Information Form
To place a request for information with the Ontario Clean Water Agency, please review the information on the above websites, then complete and submit the “Request Form” (59KB) to ocwa@ocwa.com or Freedom of Information and Privacy Coordinator, Ontario Clean Water Agency, 2085 Hurontario Street, Suite 500, Mississauga ON L5A 4G1.
Memorandum of Understanding
OCWA’s relationship and obligations to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks are laid out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):
- MOU with the Ministry (462KB)
- Affirmation (2015) (918KB)
- Affirmation (2018) (114KB)
- Affirmation (2019) (654KB)
- Affirmation (2021) (111KB)
