WHEREAS it is deemed in the public interest to provide effective regulations for the use of reclaimed or non-potable water: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial ministries and federal departments resolve inter-departmental and inter-agency conflicts and contradictions in the regulatory approach towards reclaimed local government water use through stakeholder meetings and if necessary a task force or committee be created or have this mandate included in their terms of reference to work with local governments to reach these goals; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the provincial ministries and federal departments promote the use of reclaimed and non-potable water through the recommendations above and an effective program for the education of the public and stakeholders; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the spill reporting requirements of treated effluent as a hazardous material be revised and made practical and manageable through the operational certificate which determines treatment level.
Ministry of Environment In April 2012, the Province replaced the Municipal Sewage Regulation with the Municipal Wastewater Regulation. Compliance with the regulation provides authorization with minimum standards and requirements for the treatment, reuse, and discharge of domestic sewage, wastewater or municipal liquid waste. The new Municipal Wastewater Regulation reorganizes and consolidates related requirements. It corrects conflicting or confusing requirements and communicates them in a simplified manner. Also, the number of statutory decisions in the new regulation has been reduced by 50, making it easier to use reclaimed water from wastewater treatment plants. The Spill Reporting Regulation requires that all unauthorized releases of substances into the environment are reported so that appropriate action can be identified. This ensures that public health and environmental quality are protected while allowing for the required actions to correlate with the severity of the impacts. If high-quality reclaimed water is spilled, no further action may be necessary; however, reporting allows the Province to respond to inquiries with accurate information. There are no plans to modify this regulation at this time. The Province is interested in continuing to work with local governments to further promote, and identify barriers to, the safe use of reclaimed and non-potable water.