Transcript Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations

Wastewater Systems Effluent
Regulations (Draft) Update
Mohammed Karim, M.Eng., P.Eng.
Senior Water & Wastewater Engineer
Southern TC, LFN & UFN meeting Oct. 27 & 28, 2011 2011
Wastewater
• Wastewater is composed of industrial,
commercial, institutional and domestic
wastes: chemicals, detritus (Fragments of
organic particles), pathogens, toxic pollutants
• Harmful impacts of wastewater are well
documented
Wastewater Effluent
From source to receiving water
Largest Point Source of Pollution
• Over 4000 wastewater systems in Canada
- 3500 owned by municipal governments
- 500 located on federal and Aboriginal land
• Uneven levels of treatment across Canada
- Range from state-of-the-art to no treatment
Regulating Wastewater Effluent
• Municipal systems subject to multiple requirements
- Provincial or territorial/water board permits
and federal Fisheries Act provisions
• Systems on federal and Aboriginal lands subject to federal
requirements
- Fisheries Act and federal guidelines
• Fisheries Act key provisions
- Prohibition of the release of deleterious substances to water
frequented by fish
Canadian Council of Ministers of the
Environment (CCME)
• CCME is a forum for the federal, provincial and territorial
governments in Canada to develop strategies and guidelines
• CCME Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of
Municipal Wastewater Effluent (CCME Strategy)
- Endorsed by Council of Ministers on 17 February 2009
- Quebec, Newfoundland & Labrador and Nunavut did not
endorse
- National effluent quality standards with risk-based
implementation over 10, 20 30 years by EC
• Responsibility to implement the CCME Strategy rests with
each jurisdiction
Proposed Wastewater Systems Effluent
Regulations
• The Federal government’s principle instrument is to implement the
CCME strategy as proposed
• Published under the Fisheries ACT in Canada Gazette, Part I on
March 20th., 2010 for a 60 –day comment period.
• Would apply to any land-based wastewater system discharging to
surface water including:
- municipal waste water systems
- private wastewater systems
- wastewater systems under federal government operation and on
federal and aboriginal lands
- wastewater systems in the North not included initially
Effluent Quality Standards
Implementation timelines
• Existing wastewater systems already meeting the effluent
standards upon commissioning continue to meet the
standards
• New wastewater systems would meet the effluent quality
standards upon commissioning
• Wastewater systems not meeting the effluent quality
standards would need to upgrade their systems to meet
standards
- 2020, 2030 or 2040 timeline depending on the risk
associated with existing effluent quality and receiving
environment
Activities to-date
• The proposed WSER were published in Canada
Gazette, Part I on March 20, 2010 for a 60-day
comment period
– The Regulations are made under the authority of the
Fisheries Act
• EC Received 190 comments from stakeholders
and interested parties
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Provinces and territories
Municipalities and their organizations
Federal departments and agencies
Industrial sectors and their organizations
OFNTSC, COO, AFN, CWWA, WEAO and others .
Status
• Delayed coming into force
• Categories of wastewater systems
• Combined sewer overflow report
Proposed dates of Regulation
• Coming into force at registration/publication By December 2011
(anticipated)
– Consolidation plan may be submitted
– Installation of monitoring equipment, if required and its record-keeping
• Coming into force April 1, 2012
– ID report submitted until June 30, 2012
• Coming into force January 1, 2013
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Volume and substances monitoring
Record-keeping and reporting
Application for transitional authorization by June 30, 2014
May apply for temporary authorization for NH3 from now on
• Come into force January 1, 2015
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Effluent quality standards and non-acute lethality requirement apply
Acute lethality monitoring
Transitional authorizations are valid and site-specific limits apply
May apply for bypass authorization
Application to Wastewater Systems
• Intermittent
– Seasonal discharge lagoons
• Continuous
– Mechanical plant
– Continuous discharge lagoons
Volume measurement & Sampling
• Volume deposited based on continuous
measurement or estimation based on
measurement
• Grab or composite samples at specified
frequency
• Annual average and annual reporting
Total Residual Chlorine
• Standard applies if chlorine, or one of its compounds, was used in the
treatment of wastewater
• Timeline is January 1, 2015
Acute Toxicity Testing
• Acute lethality monitoring starts on January 1, 2015
Monitoring
• Volume monitoring can be done on either
influent or effluent
• All tests must be done in a lab accredited for
the method
Identification Report
• Submitted between April 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012 or not later than 45
days after commissioning
• Information pertaining to the wastewater system
– Intermittent or continuous
– Type of owner or operator
• Federal, provincial, municipal, aboriginal organization, non-governmental
– Type of treatment and description
• Annual average daily volume for the calendar year before the report is
made
• Latitude and longitude in decimal degrees
Bypass Authorization
• To be applied for when the bypass is required
– With permit for construction of changes to the system;
– With Permit to conduct of maintenance to the system; or
– The plant is facing an anticipated event that is outside of the control
of the owner or operator of the system.
• The bypass is issued for a period that will allow for the
conduct of the activity and will minimize the adverse effects
on fish, fish habitat or the use by man of fish
• Authorization officer may refuse to issue the bypass if the
issuance would result in adverse effects on fish, fish habitat
or the use by man of fish
Combined Sewer Overflow Report
• Must be submitted by those having at least one combined sewer overflow
point
• Required once a year
• For each CSO point that deposited effluent because of precipitation
– Volume or estimated volume and number of days when effluent was
deposited for each month
– A statement indicating that no CSO occurred
• Record-keeping requirements
Regulatory Development Phases
Next Steps
• Anticipating publication of the final version of
the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations
from Environment Canada in Canada Gazette,
Part II as early as December 2011.
Recommendation
• It would be prudent for First Nation
administrations to ensure continuance of
proper maintenance of sampling, monitoring
and accurate record-keeping of the
wastewater plant effluent in anticipation of
the release of the final Wastewater Systems
Effluent Regulations by Environment Canada.
Acknowledgement
• Information on the Draft wastewater Systems
Effluent Regulations and other information
from Environment Canada used in this
presentation is greatly appreciated.
WSER information website
• Additional information on proposed WSER
may be obtained at EC’s website:
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2010/201003-20/html/reg1-eng.html
Thank you