Municipal wastewater system – legislative requirements

Compliance obligations

Peel Region operates its wastewater collection and treatment systems in compliance with provincial and federal legislation including the Ontario Water Resources Act, Environmental Protection Act, and their supporting regulations as well as the Canadian Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act.

Wastewater system specific controls for emissions, discharges, and effluent quality that aim to protect public health and the natural environment are outlined in the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) for the system, issued by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).

Peel Region strives to maintain compliance with the applicable requirements and standards through process integrity and effluent quality monitoring, as well as regular reporting of system performance. Find further details in our Wastewater Annual Reports.

Environmental compliance approvals

Wastewater system operation, maintenance, and alteration are governed by the ECA conditions, applicable acts, regulations, codes of practice, and industry standards.

These requirements place responsibilities on Peel Region, and they are relevant to all wastewater infrastructure projects and vary, depending on the scope of work.

The legal owner of any part of the wastewater system, or any person authorized to carry out work on the system, is expected to be familiar with the legislation and comply with the requirements of the ECA.

Wastewater treatment

Peel operates its wastewater treatment facilities under flexible single and multi-media (liquid-air) approvals with built in permission for select low risk activities and system modifications.

Provision for pre-authorized modifications exists in the ECA for work that will not adversely impact the wastewater system performance, resulting in sanitary overflow, bypass, or in environmental pollution.

Any work not matching pre-authorized modification flexibility must obtain approval from the MECP through a formal application process.

Wastewater collection

MECP permissions framework for municipal wastewater collection systems assumes responsibility for all linear infrastructure and pumping stations under the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval (CLI-ECA).

Peel Region holds a single CLI-ECA for its South Peel and Inglewood wastewater collection system that applies to sewers, forcemains, sewage pumping stations, and other components of the sewage works.

Consolidated linear infrastructure approval includes new pre-authorization conditions for low-risk system modifications, including documentation requirements, similar to the pre-approval process for drinking water systems as defined in the Drinking Water Works Permits and the limited operational flexibility for alterations to wastewater treatment facilities.

Wastewater collection system modification may be undertaken by another entity on behalf of Peel under the Prescribed Person regulation (O.Reg. 208/19).

This regulation streamlines the MECP approval process by enabling developers/landowners to extend Peel’s wastewater system (construction of sanitary infrastructure in a new subdivision) and connect to Peel’s collection system under its existing CLI ECA, and without the need to apply to MECP for a separate approval. This can be done only if the ownership of constructed infrastructure will be transferred to Peel under a development agreement.

Modification and construction of wastewater collection system, pre-authorized under Peel’s CLI-ECA, must follow the MECP (new) Design Criteria for Sanitary Sewers, Storm Sewers and Forcemains for Alterations Authorized under Environmental Compliance Approval and Peel’s internal standards, which may be more stringent than the provincial criteria.

Peel Region is ultimately responsible for the integrity of its wastewater infrastructure and must consent to any system changes and maintain records that demonstrate compliance to CLI-ECA conditions. This includes monitoring the operation, inspection, and reporting of any environmental adverse events (e.g., sewage spill) during system modification.

Examples of alterations of Peel’s wastewater collection system preauthorized by CLI-ECA include the following work:

• Extension of sanitary sewers into new residential subdivisions.
• Construction of new or modification of existing sewage pumping station.
• Addition of new or modification of existing equipment with emissions to air (e.g., emergency power generators).

Prior to any modifications, plan of work must be documented on CLI-ECA preauthorization forms, as applicable:

• FORM SS1 - Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Separate Sewers/Nominally Separate Sewers/Forcemains
• FORM SS2 - Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Components of the Municipal Sewage Collection System
• FORM A1 - Record of Future Alteration Authorized for Equipment Discharging a Contaminant of Concern to the Atmosphere from a Municipal Sewage Collection System and maintained on file.
• When required, Director Notification Form - Alterations to a Municipal Sewage Collection System also must be completed and submitted to the MECP to notify of changes to the wastewater system components.

For more information on system ECA conditions, preauthorization forms, and contractor email us or call 905-791-7800, ext. 4685.

Peel Region developed and implemented the Wastewater Integrated Management System (WWIMS) that enables a systematic approach towards pollution prevention, the implementation of quality work principles, and best management practices in the operation of our wastewater collection and treatment systems.

Our top priority is to provide reliable wastewater service while protecting the environment.

Find further details on the operational performance of Peel’s wastewater systems in our Wastewater Annual Reports.

Any persons (contractors) working on Peel’s wastewater system must:

• Be aware of the WWIMS policy.
• Be aware of how their practices and work may impact the environment.
• Follow relevant regulatory requirements and regional standards while working for Peel Region.

WWIMS policy

• Protecting and preserving the environment, including the prevention of pollution, through effective operation and management of the wastewater systems that incorporates quality assurance and control practices.
• Acting promptly and responsibly in addressing incidents or conditions that pose a risk to the public or environment.
• Complying with applicable legislation and regulatory requirements
• Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure our services consider their environmental and quality concerns
• Establishing objectives and targets that drive the continual improvement of our Wastewater Integrated Management System.

The WWIMS provides a framework for:

• Managing policies, procedures, and processes.
• Records management.
• Staff training.
• Effective communication.
• Assessing and addressing risks.
• Measuring the overall environmental impact.

The goal of the WWIMS is to create a systematic approach towards pollution prevention and the implementation of quality work principles that promote a culture of continually improving the work we do.

By applying a consistent management process, our WWIMS framework:

• Ensures consistency and structure.
• Improves emergency preparedness, regulatory compliance, and overall performance.
• Increases environmental stewardship and operational efficiency.
• Encourages interaction and communication within the organization and with the public.

The WWIMS program performance is measured regularly as it reaches its desired goals, resulting in heightened public trust and confidence in Peel's wastewater services.

With this system in place, Peel residents and business owners can be assured that wastewater processes are managed to protect sources of drinking water and to minimize potential negative impacts to the natural environment.

For more details about Peel Region’s WWIMS, our commitment to quality, and the role of the contractor, email us.