Municipal sewer systems across the Great Lakes release over 90 billion litres of untreated sewage annually into the lakes and rivers of the ecosystem.19 This toxic cocktail includes industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals and human waste. Raw
sewage discharge contributes to fish consumption advisories, odour, visual filth and beach closings every year. In addition,
runoff from roads, lawns and sidewalks collects contaminants and garbage into the storm sewers, often ending up directly
in our streams, rivers and eventually lakes. There are viable solutions to these problems:
- Complete the development and promotion of a federal model sewer use by-law, as well as a national minimum standard
for sewage treatment.
- Regulate and enforce consistent provincial standards for sewage treatment and combined sewer systems, including
updating the provincial model sewer use by-law and requiring monitoring of toxics, pharmaceuticals and personal care
product contaminants in sewage sludge. In addition, disposal of biosolids/sewage sludge must be subject to enforceable
limits, with respect to land application and levels of toxic substances, pharmaceuticals and personal-care product
contaminants.
- Provide a multi-billion dollar federal and provincial government investment to upgrade wastewater systems (to halt
combined-sewage overflows) and existing sewage treatment facilities. As an early action step, the Ontario and federal
governments must ensure that Great Lakes communities and municipalities in Areas of Concern have resources to
update sewage treatment facilities, including upgrading all remaining primary sewage treatment plants and providing
assistance to the most serious combined sewage problems. As part of this action, the province must act on the Walkerton
Inquiry recommendations and ensure proper implementation of the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act.
- Fully enforce recommendation 84 of Part Two of the Walkerton Inquiry by providing adequate financial assistance to
small water systems that have explored all options for cost savings and remain economically unviable.
- Include sewage treatment plant upgrades in Ontario’s Safe Drinking Water Act.
- Determine priority endocrine disruptors in sewage and industrial effluents. Review licensing of pharmaceuticals and
other contaminants in personal care products, as well as effluent permits in that context. Support investment in municipal
water treatment technologies that are capable of removing pharmaceuticals and personal care products.
- Municipal governments must show leadership for such actions as adopting provincial standards, approaching local industry
and implementing pollution prevention plans, including a stronger commitment and support for the Great Lakes
St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
- Review and tighten the Municipal Industrial Strategy for Abatement (MISA), to inventory, report and address toxic
pollution in municipal sewer systems from industrial sources.
- Develop and implement mechanisms for upstream toxic substance management (i.e. industrial capture, regulation of
indirect discharges, pollution prevention strategies).
- Ensure mandatory public reporting of sewage discharges (spills, plant by-passes, combined sewer overflows) and noncompliance
uncovered during mandatory inspections of drinking water systems.
References
[19] Sierra Legal. (2006). The Great Lakes Sewage Report Card. Available at www.sierralegal.org.
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