Proposed Wastewater Regs Published

The proposed Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations have been published in Canada Gazette, Part I beginning the formal 60-day public comment period.

As Environment Minister Jim Prentice announced in February, the feds are proposing regulations for municipal, community, federal and other wastewater systems, which include standards for national wastewater effluent quality and provide regulatory clarity for rules on reporting for more than 3,700 Canadian facilities.  For those not already meeting the effluent quality standards, there is a proposed phase-in approach.  For higher-risk wastewater effluent discharges, facilities will have up until 2020 to upgrade, whereas others would have until 2030 or 2040 depending on level of risk associated with existing effluent quality and environmental considerations.

The regulations are the principal instrument that Environment Canada is using to implement the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater that was endorsed in 2009.

View the proposed regulations here.