B.C. legislation which regulates sewage treatment and disposal includes:

• Environmental Management Act, Municipal Sewage Regulation (B.C. Reg. 129/99)
• Conditional Exemption Regulation (B.C. Reg. 201/84)
• Health Act, Sewage Disposal Regulation (B.C. Reg. 411/85)

Sewage discharges must be registered with the ministry if:

a. the discharge is to surface water; OR

b. the calculated sewage flow to all sewage disposal systems on the property exceeds 22.7 m³/day (5,000 imperial gallons per day)® Note: discharges below this volume are regulated under the Health Act, which is administered by the local Health Authority.

Total daily sewage flows for your site are calculated using values identified in the Health Act, Sewage Disposal Regulation. This information is attached:

For example:

For a 30-unit mobile home park with 15 RV sites, laundry facilities (2 machines), and a restaurant...the calculated daily sewage flow would be (Note: there are 1,000 litres in one cubic metre):

There are currently various types of discharges to land and water which are authorized by the ministry subject to certain restrictions and requirements.

Conventional sewage treatment systems include:

• septic tank / tile field systems,
• lagoon systems, and
• mechanical treatment plants.

Treated sewage discharges in this area of the province generally fall into two categories:

a. discharges to ground, via:

• tile fields (subsurface)
• exfiltration basins (surface) or
• spray irrigation (surface) and

b. discharges to surface water (i.e. lakes, streams)

The suitability of a site for a particular type of sewage system is dependent upon a number of factors including: size of the property; proximity to residences, water wells, surface water etc.; soil conditions (type and percolation rate); surface features (i.e. topography, ground slope, traffic areas etc.); and depth to groundwater or bedrock. In order to determine your best option for sewage disposal, a site evaluation will need to be conducted.

Percolation rate is a measure of the soil's ability to absorb liquid, and is the most important factor used in assessing the acceptability of a site for ground disposal systems. Percolation rates between 2 and 30 minutes per inch are considered acceptable for construction of tile fields or exfiltration basins.

Percolation tests must be performed in accordance with established procedures as described in the Health Act, Sewage Disposal Regulation.

Examples of sewage disposal systems commonly used in this area (for treating relatively small sewage volumes) are:

• septic tank with discharge to an absorption field;
• lagoon system with discharge to exfiltration basins (minimum of two basins);
• lagoon system (minimum of two cells) with discharge to the ground by spray irrigation during the summer (note: final cell must be of sufficient capacity to provide storage of effluent during the winter months); and
• lagoon system with discharge to a watercourse.

As was previously mentioned, many factors must be considered in the siting and design of a sewage disposal system. For example, sites having soils with very slow percolation rates (i.e. clay soils) will be unsuitable for installation of tile fields or exfiltration basins. Similarly, in evaluating the suitability of a stream to accept a sewage discharge, considerations such as available dilution and downstream use of the watercourse (i.e. for drinking water, recreation, etc.) must be assessed.

Prior to construction of a sewage facility, the Municipal Sewage Regulation requires completion of an environmental impact study (EIS) to ensure that effluent standards and receiving environment water quality guidelines are met or exceeded. The main objective of the EIS is to consider uses of the receiving environment or groundwater, and demonstrate that the proposed treatment / disposal system will not adversely affect human health or the environment. The EIS must be conducted by a "qualified professional" (as defined by the regulation) and must be completed at least 90 days before construction of the facility commences. A copy of the EIS report must be retained for inspection by the ministry. Guidelines for conducting an EIS can be obtained from the local Environmental Protection office.

Sewage systems must be designed and operated in accordance with the Municipal Sewage Regulation. The regulation requires that sewage treatment / disposal systems be designed and inspected by "qualified professionals", as defined in the regulation (e.g. a professional engineer). A copy of sealed design drawings must be retained for inspection by the ministry.

In addition, an operating plan for the sewage facility must be prepared by a qualified professional and submitted to the local Environmental Protection office at least 90 days before construction commences.

Payment of the following fees is required under the regulation:

• registration fee - paid upon registration of the discharge; and
• annual fee - paid on effective date of registration and on each anniversary thereafter.

Fees are calculated as outlined in the Waste Management Permit Fees Regulation. Fees for sewage discharges are based on the volume of sewage effluent being discharged and the quality of the discharge effluent. Details regarding calculation of fees can be obtained from the local Environmental Protection office.

Yes. Areas where additional costs may be incurred include the following:

• monitoring (including shipping and analysis of samples) — at frequencies defined in the regulation, you will be required to collect samples of the discharge effluent and ship them to a registered laboratory for analysis; discharge flow monitoring and receiving environment monitoring may also be required;
• classification of the sewage facility and certification of operators under the Environmental Operators Certification Program (EOCP) is required under the regulation; and
• financial security requirements (applicable to any privately owned residential development — see below.

If the discharger is an individual, company or strata corporation, the regulation requires establishment of a capital replacement fund and provision of security. This requirement is intended to assure reasonable operation of sewage facilities so that the occupancy of principal residents is not jeopardized. Contributions from the capital replacement fund and the security may be accessed by the ministry and used for repair, operation, maintenance, replacement or improvement of the sewage facility.

Requirements for establishing capital replacement funds and security amounts are specified in the regulation. The discharger must submit proof of security and establishment of the capital replacement fund to the ministry at least 30 days before construction of the sewage facility commences.

Note: The security requirements do not apply if the discharger is a municipality; if the discharge is from a service area defined and governed by a local service area bylaw; or, if the discharge is registered with an approved assurance plan, as described in the regulation.

So, here's what you need to do...

Below is a list of steps that would normally be followed from the time you have decided to install a sewage disposal system, to completion of the installation.

a. Calculate the daily sewage flow for your site using factors indicated in the Health Act, Sewage Disposal Regulation. Determine whether registration of the discharge with the Environmental Protection office is required (i.e. do maximum flows exceed 22.7 m³/day?). If not, contact the local Health Authority.

If you need to register the discharge under the Environmental Management Act, Municipal Sewage Regulation, go to the next step (b).

b. Retain a qualified consultant to:

• evaluate your site and determine your options for sewage treatment / disposal;
• complete an environmental impact study (EIS) (Note: the EIS must be completed at least 90 days before construction of the sewage facility commences);
• complete sewage system design work; and
• prepare an operating plan for the sewage facility.

Note: It is recommended that a pre-registration meeting between the discharger and the ministry be held prior to formal registration of a discharge. Ideally, this meeting should be held at least 60 days before registration.

c. At least 90 days before construction of the sewage facility is to commence, submit to the ministry:

• a registration form along with appropriate registration fees; and
• the operating plan for the sewage facility.

The ministry may request additional information at this point, or set more stringent standards than those indicated in the regulation. Further instructions may be given following registration of your facility.

d. As applicable, at least 30 days before construction is to commence, submit proof of financial security and establishment of the capital replacement fund to the ministry.