Across Canada Comparison of Wastewater Treatment - Environmental Trends in British Columbia 2002, State of Environment Reporting, Strategic Policy, Planning and Intergovernmental Relations Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection

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•	Percentage of population served by secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment

•	Percentage of Canadian population served by secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment

•	Liquid manure storage capacity in the Lower Fraser Valley

•	Cumulative shellfish sanitary closures in British Columbia

•	Metal leaching/acid rock drainage mine sites requiring mitigation

•	Municipal solid waste disposed of and recycled

•	Consumer and industrial products stewardship programs

State of Environment Reporting

How Does British Columbia Compare?

Percentage of Canadian Population Served by Secondary or Tertiary Wastewater Treatment - 1999

Percentage of Population Served by Secondary or Tertiary Wastewater Treatment - 1999

SOURCE: Environment Canada. MUD database. 2001. NOTES: Secondary treatment includes waste stabilization ponds. Insufficient data exist to adequately assess the degree of treatment in NWT, Yukon or Nunavut. The data for Canada do not include the Territories. Data refer to the proportion of the municipal population served by a municipal wastewater system. In Canada, nearly 75% of the population (22.5 million) are served by municipal sewer systems. Population served by on-site sewer systems are excluded.

How does British Columbia compare?

In 1999, the liquid waste of 63% of the population served by sewer systems received secondary or tertiary treatment. The 1999 Canadian level was 78%, up from 56% in 1983.
In Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, more than 99% of the population served by sewers has secondary wastewater treatment or better. In Ontario it is 94%.
Of the coastal provinces in Canada, British Columbia has the highest proportion of the population served by secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment.