Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations

Marginal note:Taking of samples — intermittent wastewater system

• 10 (1) The owner or operator of an intermittent wastewater system must, during each period referred to in paragraph 3(a), take at each of the system’s final discharge points a grab or composite sample of effluent at the following minimum frequencies:

  • (a) if the period is more than 30 days, every two weeks, at least seven days after the previous sample; and

  • (b) if the period is 30 days or less, once.

• Marginal note:Taking of samples prior to deposit

  (2) Despite subsection (1), if a grab or composite sample of effluent has been collected at a sampling location referred to in subsection (5) within two weeks of the period referred to in paragraph 3(a) for the government of the province where the wastewater system is located or under an Act of Parliament, and if the determinations referred to in subsection (6) and, if applicable, paragraph 38(b) were made, the owner or operator of a system is not required to take a sample during the first 30 days of deposit and may use the results of the determinations made on the sample of effluent collected prior to deposit.

• Marginal note:Taking of samples — continuous wastewater system

  (3) The owner or operator of a continuous wastewater system must take at each of the system’s final discharge points, during each calendar year, a sample of effluent of the type set out in column 2 of the table to this subsection that corresponds to the average daily volume of effluent set out in column 1 that is deposited via all final discharge points during the previous calendar year and must do so at the frequency set out in column 3.

  Item	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
  	Average Daily Volume, Deposited (m3)	Type of Sample To Be Taken	Minimum Sampling Frequency
  1	≤ 2 500	Grab or composite	Monthly, with each sample taken at least 10 days after any previous sample
  2	> 2 500 and ≤ 17 500	Composite	Every two weeks, but at least seven days after any previous sample
  3	> 17 500 and ≤ 50 000	Composite	Weekly, with each sample taken at least five days after any previous sample
  4	> 50 000	Composite	Three days per week, with each sample taken at least one day after any previous sample

• Marginal note:Sampling and frequency — exception

  (4) Despite subsection (3), the owner or operator of a continuous wastewater system with a hydraulic retention time of five or more days, or of a continuous wastewater system that is the subject of a transitional authorization, may

  • (a) take a grab or composite sample at each of the system’s final discharge points; and

  • (b) reduce the minimum sampling frequency to quarterly, with each sample taken at least 60 days after the previous sample, if the system deposited via all of its final discharge points an average daily volume of less than or equal to 2 500 m³ of effluent during the previous calendar year.

• Marginal note:Taking of samples — other sampling location

  (5) Despite subsections (1) and (4), the owner or operator of an intermittent wastewater system, or of a continuous wastewater system with a hydraulic retention time of five or more days, may take a grab or composite sample of effluent at a sampling location other than the final discharge point if the sampling location yields a representative sample as if the sample had been collected at the final discharge point and if the sampling location and sampling procedure are determined by a licensed professional.

• Marginal note:Determination — certain deleterious substances

  (6) The owner or operator must, for each sample referred to in subsection (1) to (4), determine or cause the determination of the following elements:

  • (a) the carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand due to the quantity of CBOD matter in the effluent, in accordance with section 12; and

  • (b) the concentration of suspended solids in the effluent, in accordance with section 13.