This week, Council passed updated regulations designed to control the content of fluids that are discharged into the sewer system in the township.
The previous version was almost 15 years old and did not include effective tools to combat inappropriate and harmful inflows into the municipal sanitary collection system. In addition, the changes were required in align local regulations with provincial legislative requirements.
The new regulations provide specific, measurable restrictions on what can be deposited into the municipal wastewater treatment system. In other words, it restricts what you can dump into a toilet, sink, shower or bathtub drain. It’s not just the usual suspects the by-law diverts in these new restrictions.
The intention is to protect the system from corrosion, obstruction and other damage, and to protect the public and municipal staff and property from exposure to hazardous substances. Among the more obvious pollutants specifically prohibited are fuel, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, biomedical waste and vehicle lubricants. Less obvious restrictions include the output from waste grinders or garbage disposals which discharge directly into municipally-connected drains.
Water flowing through the system gets treated, which costs money. The new by-law will also protect the effective operation of the treatment facility by preventing uncontaminated ground water from entering the system unnecessarily and protect the environment from contaminants that are not removed by the treatment plant. Its provisions are designed to divert water that does not require treatment to the storm drain system accessed through drains along roadways. This includes water from storms, roofs and foundations, including sump pumps and private drains. Water collected in storm drains is collected in catch basins and flows underground through a separate system, and discharges into a stormwater management pond, a natural creek or stream, or a ditch. It does not require chemical treatment.
Municipalities face increasingly expensive and complex water management requirements in order to protect this critical natural resource. It’s easy to complain about the cost, but it another view is that its cheap insurance, given the alternative. KG
