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#3 — Recommendations
Regarding Developing an Operating Plan
Introduction
The
Municipal
Sewage Regulation (MSR) and Amendments to the Regulation in April of 2006 and in October of 2006 provide requirements that,
if met by dischargers of municipal sewage or providers of reclaimed
water, will ensure that their activity is not prohibited by sections
6 (2) and 6 (3) of the Environmental Management Act. In
other words, compliance with the MSR provides authorization for
a discharge
of municipal sewage or use of reclaimed water in British Columbia.
Exemption
from permits
In
order to be exempt from having to obtain a permit under the Environmental
Management Act, discharges must be authorized by a liquid
waste management plan approved by the minister or a regulation.
The MSR establishes an exemption for dischargers from having
to obtain a permit, provided they meet certain conditions; namely,
the discharge is registered and ongoing compliance with the regulation
is demonstrated.
Operating
Plan
In
order to meet the requirements of Section 16 of the Municipal
Sewage Regulation the discharger must develop an operating
plan for the sewage facilities. The attached operating plan outline
is meant to provide guidance to the qualified professional when
preparing an operating plan for a specific sewage facility.
General
Operating
plans must be developed by qualified professionals. When developing
and implementing operating plans, qualified professionals are
advised to:
-
draw
on knowledge of, or experience with, existing successful operating
plans;
-
refer
to appropriate industry benchmarking standards;
-
consult
with experienced operators familiar with the operation of the
facility;
-
build
mechanisms for continual improvement of the operating plan.
For example, the operating plan, including an emergency component,
should be regularly tested and evaluated, and improved accordingly.
Disclaimer
This
guidance document does not replace the Environmental Management
Act or its regulations. It does not list all provisions
relating to municipal sewage discharges. If there are
differences
or omissions in this document, the act and regulations apply.
For more information, contact the Environmental
Management Branch.
Operating
Plan Outline
Facility
Certification
This
section should:
-
provide
details of the how and when the facility will be certified by
the Environmental Operators Certification Program;
-
describe
a program for re-assessing the plant certification level regularly;
and
-
outline
the steps necessary to re-certify the facility following any
modifications to the facility.
Operator
Certification
This
section should describe:
-
the
appropriate operator certification level(s) necessary to operate
and maintain the facility consistent with its classification;
-
provisions
to ensure that at least one certified operator is available
at all times; and
-
recruitment
and replacement procedures designed to ensure that a certified
operator responsible for the facility is employed.
Operation
and Maintenance
This
section should describe:
-
the
facility's operator's manual and make provision for its continual
improvement;
-
a
comprehensive planned maintenance program which includes:
-
a
list of authorized service agents
-
an
inventory of facility components and authorized replacement
parts,
-
detailed
description of inspection, repair and replacement frequency
for facility components;
-
measures
to ensure that the facility is operated at all times within
specifications and in a manner to ensure compliance with the
effluent quality standards of the regulation;
-
any
automated systems, alarms and warning devices to alert operators
to problems; and
-
if
the facility is supplying reclaimed water for use on vegetation,
the appropriate application rates.
Emergency
Procedures
This
section should:
-
describe
all built-in redundancy features of the facility;
-
outline
measures to prevent emergency conditions from occurring;
-
describe
measures to mitigate any health or environmental impact, if
emergencies occur;
-
make
specific reference to the Spill Reporting Regulation;
and
-
provide
specific instructions for staff in the event of an emergency
including contact information for local authorities (fire,
police,
public health), the Provincial Emergency Program and the Regional
Environmental Protection Manager.
Facility
Monitoring
This
section should describe:
-
operating
and effluent quality data collection, analysis and review procedures;
-
calibration
procedures for monitoring equipment;
-
appropriate
response to alarm conditions;
-
any
on-line monitoring and PLC feature; and
-
continuous
improvement systems.
Staff
Competency
This
section should:
-
describe
a training plan for all facility staff;
-
identify
a continuous improvement approach to staff competency; and
-
ensure
that resources are in place to provide ongoing training and
upgrading of staff skills, especially to prepare for any facility
modifications.
Confirmation
that Operating Plan is Adequate for the Design of the Facility
This
section should:
Updated:
September 2007
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