Whether you’re a homeowner, business owner or manager, it’s important for you to be aware of changes in the proposed Sewer Use Bylaw and the potential impact on you.

The City is seeking to build cooperation in the new bylaw. To ensure the outcome reflects this intent, the City’s bylaw review is being guided by four principles: business efficiency; due diligence; fairness and equity; and environmental stewardship. It is also used a Stakeholder Involvement Process to solicit public input and participation.

The City has done extensive research on the current sanitary sewer system and its challenges. A series of working papers, complete with findings and recommendations, have been produced.

Proposed Bylaw and Policy Changes

• Source Control – Using a source control management approach to address what is discharged into the wastewater system at the source, and to stop inappropriate substances from being discharged into the wastewater system.

• Limits and Prohibited Substances – Updating restrictions and prohibitions on the type and amount of substances that can be discharged into the sewer system.  Most of the changes in this area deal with metals in wastewater discharges.

• Regulations - Specifying specific requirements for pre-treatment facilities, including the type and size of treatment equipment; the equipment maintenance frequency; and monitoring and record keeping requirements.  Regulations apply the same rules to all dischargers within a grouping.

• Permits – Permits would generally apply to higher-risk wastewater system users and would specify conditions that dischargers must meet, including sampling, monitoring and reporting.  Each Permit would be unique to the individual discharger and can specify specific conditions that would only apply to that discharger.

It is proposed that an Annual Permit Fee of $1,000; a Permit Application Fee of $500; and a Permit Amendment Fee of $250 be charged for all types of permits.

• Monitoring, inspection and sampling – Monitoring, inspection and sampling would be required to follow up on the conditions of some regulations and permits.

• Enforcement – As the intention would be to focus on assisting in compliance of the bylaw, the following enforcement methods are proposed:  education; inspection reports; warnings; orders; charges; liability for damages; and disconnection of utility services.

 Regulations

These regulations would apply to the following businesses:

• Food Sector Operations;
• Equipment and Vehicle Wash Operations;
• Fermentation Operations;
• Carpet Cleaning Operations;
• Dental Operations;
• Dry Cleaning Operations;
• Automotive Repair Operations; and
• Photographic Imaging Operations.

Permits

The following permit types are recommended:

• Special Use Permits – These permits would apply to any user that discharges, proposes to discharge, or may potentially discharge a prohibited or restricted waste into the City’s sewer system.  For example, a Special Use Permit may grant permission to exceed the BOD limits for wastewater from a food manufacturing facility.  Those on sewer surcharge will have Special Use Permits as they are discharging treatable waste that exceeds limits (BOD, suspended solids, grease, and/or phosphorous).

• Sewer Surcharge – Sewer Surcharge is part of the current bylaw and will continue under the new Sewer Use Bylaw.  The surcharge is a cost recovery formula applied to BOD levels over 300 ppm, suspended solids over 300 ppm, oil and grease over 100 ppm, and phosphorous over 10 ppm.  Surcharge will be a condition applied to some Special Use Permits.  Through improved monitoring, the City will be more aware of circumstances where surcharge applies and will work to recover these costs from those exceeding the limits.

• High Volume Discharge Permits – These permits would apply to any user that discharges, proposes to discharge, or may potentially discharge non-domestic wastewater with a volume that meets or exceeds 10 cubic metres per day, or 300 cubic metres per month into the City’s sewer system.  Users that are also under a regulation may be exempt from this permit.

• Trucked Liquid Waste Hauler Permit – These permits would allow any hauler responsible for the collection and transportation of waste from a site, other than human sewage, to be discharged at a City disposal facility.  Haulers would be required to submit manifests with all loads and the users would be required to sign a declaration confirming the nature of the waste and its compliance with the Sewer Use Bylaw’s effluent standards.

• Pre-Treatment Facility Permit – These permits would apply to regulated businesses and institutions that can demonstrate the ability to comply with the Sewer Use Bylaw’s effluent standards, even though their equipment does not meet the regulations.  If required, these permits may be withdrawn, requiring the facility to upgrade to regulation standards.