Definitions

• "Domestic Sewage" means human excrement, water-borne human excrement or the water-carried wastes from liquid or non-liquid culinary purposes, washing, cleansing, laundering, food processing or ice production.
• "Effluent" means the liquid resulting from the treatment of domestic sewage.
• "Qualified professional" means an applied scientist or technologist specializing in a particular applied science or technology including, but not necessarily limited to agrology, biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, or hydrogeology and:
  1. who is registered in British Columbia with their appropriate professional organization, acting under that association's Code of Ethics and subject to disciplinary action by that association, and
  2. who, through suitable education, experience, accreditation and knowledge, may be reasonably relied on to provide advice within their area of expertise.
• "Sewage Facility" means any facility or work that gathers, treats, transports, stores, utilizes or discharges domestic sewage or effluent.

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Abbreviations

• "MoE" means the Ministry of Environment.
• "MSR" means the Environment Management Act, Municipal Sewage Regulation administered by MoE.

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Authorization of Sewage Facilities

A site site specific authorization is required for installation and operation of any camp sewage facility. The form of authorization depends on the size of the camp and the type of disposal.

Thus, sewage facilities must be designed and operated in accordance with the Municipal Sewage Regulation (MSR), and registered with MoE if:

1. the camp is > 100 persons, or
2. the camp is < 100 persons and treated sewage effluent is to be discharged onto the land surface (i.e., pumped off or to a surface water course).

Discharge of treated effluent into ground (subsurface) is allowed via absorption fields and seepage (exfiltration) ponds. MoE also allows controlled discharge of effluent to the land surface during periods when the ground is not frozen, as well as to surface water courses under certain conditions. Sewage facilities must be designed by a qualified professional and must be capable of providing a minimum of secondary treatment. Periodic sampling will be required to ensure that the discharge effluent meets the quality limits specified in the Regulation.

To register a camp sewage facility under the MSR, the following information must be submitted to MoE, at least 90 days before construction of the facility commences:

• registration form;
• registration fee payable to the Minister of Finance;
• location map and site plan of the camp, indicating the location of buildings, property boundaries, water wells, surface water courses etc., as well as the sewage facility;
• design plans for the sewage facility completed by a qualified professional;
• an operating plan for the sewage facility, completed by a qualified professional; and
• an environmental impact study, completed by a qualified professional, which substantiates that the proposed discharge will not have adverse impacts on the environment or human health.

Occasionally, MoE will issue approvals for one-time pump off of a sewage lagoon system prior to site closure. To apply for an approval to conduct pump off of sewage effluent to the land, contact MoE for requirements and submit the following information to the regional office:

• application form for an approval for effluent discharge;
• supplemental information form for surface land disposal of sewage effluent from remote camps;
• application fee payable to the Minister of Finance;
• location map and site plan of the camp, indicating the location of buildings, property boundaries, water wells, surface water courses etc., as well as the sewage facility; and
• an operating plan which identifies how the discharge will be conducted (i.e. land area, vegetation type, discharge equipment etc.) and how the facility will be decommissioned and reclaimed.

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Five Common Misconceptions Clarified

1. Camp sewage is not to be mixed with drilling waste fluids or any other waste materials.
2. Camp "sumps" are not considered adequate to provide treatment of sewage wastes, but can be used for sewage under certain conditions.
3. Seepage of sewage into the ground is considered a discharge to the environment and requires appropriate authorization.
4. Sumps designed for temporary storage or holding of camp sewage must be lined (see MoE's Guide for Temporary Storage of Domestic Sewage at Remote Industrial Camps of 100 Persons).
5. Camp sewage sumps or lagoons must be backfilled and closed once operations at the site are complete. Prior to backfilling the pit, liquids shall be hauled to an authorized site for disposal or discharged under the appropriate authorization. Liquids shall not be allowed to overflow from the sump or be pumped off without authorization.