Proposed Regulatory
Framework for Wastewater
Presented by Claude Fortin
Winnipeg, Manitoba
December 6, 2007
Presentation Overview
• Setting the Context
• EC’s Proposed Regulatory
Framework for Wastewater
Page 2
Context - Background
• EC is consulting on proposals for
updating wastewater management
– CCME Canada-wide Strategy
– EC’s Proposed Regulatory Framework for
Wastewater
• This presentation will focus on key
elements of EC’s consultation document
Page 3
Context - Important Time to Provide
Feedback
• CCME Canada-wide Strategy is due to be
finalized in the Spring 2008
• Key elements for new proposed federal
regulations would be based on the CCME
Strategy
• Proposed federal effluent regulations to be
published in December 2008
Page 4
Context – Impacts
• Environmental and health impacts are
clearly established for wastewater
effluents
• “Toxic” substances in wastewater effluents
• Impacts include negative effects on fish,
wildlife, oxygen depletion in water bodies
and restrictions on consumption of
drinking water
Page 5
Wastewater system – schematic
representation
Sources
Collection
Treatment
Release
Air
Solid / Sludge
Effluent
Overflow
Page 6
Receiving
Environment
Atmosphere
Land
Surface
water
Context – Management
• Wastewater systems are subject to federal
legislation as well as applicable provincial,
territorial or water board legislation,
permits or licenses
• Federal Fisheries Act allows for the
establishment of regulations for the
discharge of deleterious substances
• Existing regulatory structures need to be
harmonized and in many cases updated
Page 7
CCME Strategy’s elements
•
Managing effluents
–
–
•
Managing sources
–
–
•
Model sewer use bylaw
CEPA 1999 for pollutants used where appropriate
Science and Research
–
•
National performance standards and an approach for site-specific
standards
“One-window” for reporting, compliance promotion and enforcement
Canadian wastewater research body or wastewater task group
Economic Implications
-
Preliminary cost to achieve proposals in Strategy estimated at $10 –
13 billion
-
Excludes collection system upgrades and addressing overflows from
combined sewers
Page 8
CCME Strategy’s
Performance elements
Environmental Risk
Assessments and Initial
Characterization of Effluent
Effluent
Monitoring
Effluent Discharge
Objectives (EDOs)
Meet
EDOs
?
NO
Risk
Management
Meet
NPS?
High, Medium,
Low Risk
Timeline for
Implementation
NO YES
CSOs
?
Combined Sewer
and Overflow
Reduction
Planning
Submission of Action Plan
Regulators via One-Window Compliance Reporting
Page 9
Pass
Tox
Test?
Toxicity
Identification
and Reduction
Planning
NO
CCME Strategy’s implementation
• The responsibility for implementing the
CCME Strategy rests with each
jurisdiction
• Environment Canada’s Proposed
Regulatory Framework for Wastewater
outlines the federal government’s
approach to implement the CCME
Strategy
Page 10
EC’s Proposed
Regulatory Framework for Wastewater
A.Develop wastewater effluent regulations
and administrative mechanisms under the
authority of the Fisheries Act
B.Develop additional risk management
actions for wastewater systems under
federal authority, or on federal land or on
aboriginal land
C.Develop risk management actions for
sources of pollution in wastewater
Page 11
A. Wastewater effluent regulations under
the Fisheries Act
• Application
– Regulations would be applicable to all land-based wastewater
systems that discharge effluent to surface water
• Deleterious Substances and Effluent Discharge
Levels
–
–
–
–
–
Biochemical oxygen demanding matter - 25 mg/L (CBOD)
Suspended solids - 25 mg/L (TSS)
Residual chlorine - 0.02 mg/L (TRC)
Acutely toxic effluent - non-acutely toxic effluent
Ammonia - specific requirements that consider both acute and
chronic toxicity
Page 12
A. Wastewater effluent regulations under
the Fisheries Act
• Wastewater system size category
Size
Flow (m3/day)
Estimated
Population
Very Small2
≤ 5001
≤ 1,000
Small2
> 500 – 2,500
> 1,000 – 5,000
Medium
> 2,500 – 17,500
> 5,000 – 35,000
Large
> 17,500 – 50,000
> 35,000 – 100,000
Very Large
> 50,000
> 100,000
1
EC considering a minimum flow of 10 m3 for very small category
2 Very Small and Small wastewater systems with “industrial” input would
be deemed “medium”.
Page 13
A. Wastewater effluent regulations under
the Fisheries Act – all wastewater
systems
• Based on wastewater system size categories the
regulations would include other requirements
– Effluent Monitoring
– Reporting
– Risk based implementation timelines for effluent discharge limits
▪ Includes consideration for overflows from combined sewers
• Acute Toxicity and Ammonia Requirements
– Non-acutely toxic limit and monitoring requirements for acute
toxicity apply to medium, large or very large wastewater
systems
– Receiving environment considerations would determine if
reduction of ammonia in the effluent would be required
Page 14
A. Wastewater effluent regulations under the Fisheries
Act - wastewater systems under federal authority, on
federal or aboriginal land
• Regulations would require site-specific activities
–
–
–
–
Establish a list of substances of potential concern
Prepare and execute an initial effluent characterization program
Establish effluent discharge objectives
Monitor effluent and submit reports
Note: Federal regulations would not include the above
requirements for wastewater systems under provincial or
territorial jurisdiction
Page 15
A. Wastewater effluent regulations under
the Fisheries Act
• Interdepartmental and intergovernmental cooperation through formal agreements
– Agreements address one-window reporting,
compliance promotion and enforcement elements
and a co-ordination mechanism for the site-specific
effluent discharge requirements
– Administrative agreements would be negotiated
between the federal and provincial governments and
the federal government and Yukon
– For Northwest Territories and Nunavut agreements
would be developed between the territories, Indian
and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and the other
regulators as required.
Page 16
B. Risk management actions for wastewater systems
under federal authority, or on federal land or on
aboriginal land
• For effluents, the Guidelines for Effluent Quality and
Wastewater Treatment at Federal Establishments (EPS
1-EC-76-1, 1976) would be replaced by the wastewater
effluent regulations under the Fisheries Act
• For other issues, Environment Canada would update
the Guidelines or develop other instruments at the same
time the wastewater effluent regulations under the
Fisheries Act would be finalized
– Examples, stormwater, wastewater treatment sludge and
biosolids
Page 17
C. Risk management actions for sources
of pollution
• Need for risk management actions to
manage pollutants at their source will be
determined based on the result of the sitespecific environmental risk assessments
• Federal government’s Chemicals
Management Plan is a key commitment to
reduce pollutants at their source
– Risk management actions under the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, 1999, the Pest Control Products Act, and the
Food and Drugs Act
– Further information - www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca
Page 18
Next steps
• January 31, 2008 - interested parties are
invited to provide feedback
– Proposed Regulatory Framework for Wastewater to
Environment Canada
– Canada-wide Strategy to CCME
• Spring 2008
– CCME Canada-wide Strategy finalized
• December 2008
– Proposed wastewater effluent regulations under the Fisheries
Act published in Canada Gazette, Part I
Page 19
Providing Feedback
• Interested parties can provide feedback in writing to:
– Claude Fortin
Environment Canada
351 St. Joseph Blvd, Gatineau, Québec, K1A 0H3
• Feedback can be provided through email or by facsimile:
– E-mail: wastewater@ec.gc.ca
Fax number: (819) 953-7253
– Further information can be obtained at EC’s website:
www.ec.gc.ca/wastewater
• All interested parties are encouraged to review the documentation
for the CCME Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of
Municipal Wastewater Effluent
– Further information about the CCME Strategy can be obtained at the
CCME’s website: www.ccme.ca/ourwork/water.html
Page 20
Thank you