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## A BY-LAW RESPECTING THE REGULATION OF DISCHARGES TO THE PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEMS
This by-law is made by the Municipality of the County of Inverness pursuant to Section 426 of the Municipal Government Act, S.N.S 1998, c.18, and in accordance with Part XIV of the Act.
1. This by-law may be cited as the "Sewer Discharges By-Law".
## APPLICATION
2. This By-Law shall apply within the Municipality of the County of Inverness and to all persons who are owners of buildings, wherever located, served by Municipal wastewater facilities.
## DEFINITIONS
3. In this By-law, unless the context otherwise requires, the expression:
2. "Biochemical Oxygen Demand" or "BOD" means the quantity of oxygen utilized, expressed in milligrams per litre, in the biochemical oxidation of matter within one hundred and twenty-four period at a temperature of twenty degrees centigrade as Determined in procedures set forth in "Standard Methods";
3. (b) "Chemical Oxygen Demand" or "COD" means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the chemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure, expressed in milligrams per litre, according to "Standard Methods";
4. (c) "Colour of liquid" means the appearance of a liquid from which the suspended solids have been removed;
5. (d) "Combined Sewer" is defined to have the same meaning as the Municipal Government Act;
6. (e) "Council" means the elected Councillors who govern the Municipality;
7. (f) "Director of Infrastructure and Emergency Services" means the Municipality employee who is charged with the responsibility for servicing the Municipal Water and Wastewater Facilities;
8. (g) "Domestic Waste" means waste derived principally from dwellings;
9. (h) "Effluent" means treated wastewater flowing out of a treatment plant;
10. (i) "Engineer" means the Municipal Engineer (or Municipal Contracted Engineer) as defined in the Municipal Government Act;
11. "Grease" means total oil and grease extracted from aqueous solution or suspension According to the laboratory procedures set forth in "Standard Methods", and includes, but is not limited to, hydrocarbons, esters, oils, fats, waxes and high molecular fatty acids;
12. (k) "Industrial Premises" means an area of land with or without buildings or structures on which activities pertain to industry, manufacturing, commerce, trade, business, or institutions as distinguished from domestic dwellings;
13. "Inspector" means a person authorized by the Municipality to carry out observations and inspections and to take samples as prescribed by this By-law;
14. (m) "Matter" includes any solid, liquid, or gas;
15. (n) "Municipality" means the Municipality of the County of Inverness, or the area contained within its boundaries as the context requires;
- (0) "Natural Outlet" is any outlet from a natural watercourse into another watercourse, pond, ditch, or lake, or other body of surface or ground water;
17. (p) "Owner" is defined to have the same meaning as in the Municipal Government Act;
18. (a) "Pathologic Waste" means waste generated in a hospital or similar institution which Contains human or animal tissue altered or affected by disease, and instruments or other materials which may have come in contact with diseased tissue;
19. (r) "Person" means any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or group;
20. (s) "pH" means the measure of the intensity of the acid or alkaline condition of a solution determined by the hydrogen ion concentration of the solution in accordance with the "Standard Methods";
21. (t) "Phenolic Compounds" means hydroxyl derivatives of benzene and its condensed nuclei, concentrations of which shall be determined by "Standard Methods";
22. (u) "Professional Engineer" means a registered member in good standing of the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia;
23. (v) "Provincial Regulations" means the requirements and provisions of the province of Nova Scotia contained in any Provincial Statute or in any Regulation or Order made pursuant to the authority of any Statute of Nova Scotia;
## USE OF SEWERS
- 4.1 Discharges to Combined and/or Sanitary Sewers:
- 4.1.1 Except as otherwise provided in this By-law, no person shall discharge, release, suffer or cause to be discharged into any sanitary sewer, combined sewer, public or private connections to any sanitary sewer or combined sewer of any of the following:
- (a) Noxious or malodorous gases or substances capable of creating a public nuisance except human wastes, including, but not limited to: hydrogen sulphide, mercaptans, carbon disulphide, other reduced sulphur compounds, amines, and ammonia;
- (b) Ashes, cinders, sand, potters clay, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, disposable wipes, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood or other solid or viscous substances capable of causing obstruction to the flow of sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the sewerage system;
- (c) Paunch manure or intestinal contents from horses, cattle, sheep or swine, hog bristles, pig hooves or toenails, animal intestines or stomach casings, bones, bides or parts thereof, manure of any kind, poultry entrails, heads, feet or feathers, eggshells, fleshing and hair resulting from tanning operations;
- (d) Animal fat or flesh in particles larger than will pass through a quarter (1/4) inch screen;
- (e) Gasoline, benzene, naphtha, or fuel oil or wastewater containing any of these;
- (f) Wastewater or uncontaminated water having a temperature in excess of sixty (60) degrees Celsius;
- (g) Wastewater having a pH less than 5.5 or greater than 9.5 or having any other corrosive or scale forming properties capable of causing damage or hazards to the wastewater facilities or personnel of the wastewater facilities;
- (h) Sewage containing dyes or coloring materials which pass through a sewage works and discolor the sewage works effluent;
(i) Wastewater containing any of the following in excess of the indicated concentrations: Aluminum (Al) 50 mg/L Ammonia (N) 30 mg/L Antimony (sb) 5 mg/L Arsenic (As) 1 mg/L Barium (Ba) 5 mg/L
Beryllium (Be) 5 mg/L
| Bismuth (Bi) | 5 mg/L |
|----------------------------|-----------|
| Cadmium (Cd) | 0.1 mg/L |
| Chlorides expressed as C1 | 1500 mg/L |
| Chromium (Cr) | 4 mg/L |
| Cobalt (Co) | 5 mg/L |
| Copper (Cu) | 1 mg/L |
| Cyanide expressed as HCN | 2 mg/L |
| Fluorides expressed as F | 10 mg/L |
| Iron (Fe) | 50 mg/L |
| Lead (Pb) | 2 mg/L |
| Manganese (Mn) | 5 mg/L |
| Mercury (Hg) | 0.1 mg/L |
| Molybdenum (Mo) | 5 mg/L |
| Nickle (Ni) | 2 mg/L |
| Phenolic Compounds | 1 mg/L |
| Phosphorous | 30 mg/L |
| Sulphates expressed as 504 | 1500 mg/L |
| Sulphide expressed as H2S | 2 mg/L |
| Selenium (Se) | 5 mg/L |
| Silver (Ag) | 2 mg/L |
| Tin (Sn) | 5 mg/L |
| Zinc (2n) | 3 mg/L |
- (i) Wastewater of which the BOD exceeds three hundred (300) milligrams per litre (mg/L);
- (k) Wastewater containing more than three hundred fifty (350) milligrams per litre of suspended solids;
- (1) Wastewater of which COD exceeds one thousand (1000) milligrams per litre;
- (m) Wastewater containing more than one hundred (100) milligrams per litre of fat, grease, or oil, and, in the case of mineral oils, in concentrations exceeding fifteen (15) milligrams per litre.
- 4.1.2 The presence in wastewater of any one of the matters in Section 4.1.1 in a concentration in excess of its limits constitutes a separate offence.
- 4.1.3 Compliance with any limit is not attainable simply by dilution.
## 4.2 Discharges to Storm Sewers:
- 4.2.1 Except as otherwise provided in the By-law, no person shall discharge, release, place or cause to be placed, any substance other than stormwater or uncontaminated water into a storm sewer.
## GREASE, OIL, SEDIMENT AND SAND TRAPS OR INTERCEPTORS
- Grease, oil, sediment and sand traps or interceptors shall be installed in all food service establishments or operations, vehicle service facilities, and car or truck washes when, in the opinion of the Municipality, such a device is necessary for the proper handling and control of wastewater being discharged to Municipal wastewater facilities.
- 5.2 Traps or interceptors shall be installed such that they are easily accessible for all aspects of cleaning and inspection.
- 5.3 Traps or interceptors shall be maintained by the owner or operator in a condition of continuous efficient operation at the owner's expense.
- 5.4 No retained or trapped oil, grease, sediment, sand, silt or other matter in any form shall be allowed to pass from the installed trap or interceptor into the wastewater facilities: instead removal of retained or trapped materials shall be achieved by pumping or other physical means and shall be hauled away and disposed of as required by law.
- 5.5 Whenever an inspection of an installed trap or interceptor results in a written notice for action on the part of the person(s) responsible for the installed device, such action shall be completed within the compliance period granted by the written notice.
- 5.6 The owner or operator of an establishment shall provide the Municipality, upon request, with the frequency of inspection and maintenance of any installed grease, oil, sediment and sand traps or interceptors as well as information as to the disposal method employed and location of hauled waste material.
- 5.7 Any reasonable request for inspection by the Municipality shall be granted by the owner or operator of the establishment.
## SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS
- 6.1 The owner or operator of industrial premises with one or more connections to a sewage works shall install and maintain in good repair in each connection a suitable manhole to allow observation and sampling of the wastewater and measurement of the flow of wastewater therein, provided that where installation of a manhole is not possible, an alternative device or facility may be substituted with the written approval of the Engineer.
- The manhole or alternate device shall be located on the property of the owner or operator of the premises, unless the Engineer has given written approval for a different location and in such a case, whereas the owner or operator of the premises has obtained written permission from the property owner as to the location of the manhole or alternative device.
- Every manhole, device or facility installed as required by subsection 6.1 shall be designed and constructed in accordance with good engineering practice and the requirements of the Engineer and shall be constructed and maintained by the owner or operator of the premises at his expense.
- 6.4 The owner or operator of industrial premises shall at all times ensure that every manhole, device or facility installed as required by subsection 6.1 is at all times accessible for purposes of observing and sampling the wastewater and measuring the flow of wastewater therein.
- 6.5 Where a sample is required for the purpose of determining the characteristics or contents of the wastewater, uncontaminated water or stormwater to which reference is made in this By-law:
- (a) One sample alone is sufficient and, without limiting the generality of the sample, may be a grab sample or a composite sample, may contain additives for its preservation and may be collected manually or by using an automatic sampling device;
- (b) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this By-law, all tests, measurements, analysis and examinations of wastewater, uncontaminated water and storm water, shall be carried out in accordance with Standard Methods; and
- (c) For each of the metals whose concentration is limited in this By-law, the analysis shall be for the quantity of total metal, which includes metal both dissolved and particulate.
- 6.6 Where testing of a sample is required for the purpose of determining the characteristics of contents of the wastewater, uncontaminated water or storm water to which reference is made in this By-law, said testing shall be conducted in accordance with the method hereinafter described or by mechanical sampling devices:
- 6.6.1 Method of Sampling and Analysis
- (1) A minimum of seven (7) grab samples shall be taken, one (1) each day on different days in any thirty (30) day period;
- (ii) Analysis shall be conducted separately on each day's grab sample;
- (iii) The final results of these tests shall be averaged for this period to determine the characteristics and concentration of the effluent being discharged into the wastewater facilities or storm sewer system.
- 6.7 The Inspector may from time to time conduct such tests as are deemed necessary at the manhole or may enter the industrial premises and conduct the tests as deemed necessary.
## SPILLS
- Every person who discharges or deposits or causes or permits the discharge or deposit of any matter in any sewer that in nature or quantity is not in the ordinary course of events, shall forthwith notify the Municipality.
- 7.2 For any of the discharges in subsection 6.1 for which the person is required to forthwith notify the Municipality, the notification shall include the following information:
- (a) Name of the owner and the civic address of location of spill;
- (b) Name of the person reporting the spill and telephone number where that person can be reached;
- (c) Time of the spill;
- (d) Type and volume of material discharged and any associated hazards; and
- (e) Corrective actions being taken to control the spill.
- 7.3 Within five (5) days following a spill, the person referenced in subsection 7.1 shall submit to the Municipality a detailed written report describing the cause of the spill and the actions taken or to be taken to prevent a recurrence.
## REPORTS
- Any person who deposits, intends to deposit or permits or intends to permit the deposit of any wastes except domestic wastes into a sanitary or combined sewer shall file a Waste Survey Report with the Engineer.
- 8.2 The Waste Survey Report shall contain the following information and shall be signed by an authorized representative of the owner or operator:
- (a) Name and address of the premises, and names of its owner and operator;
- (b) Description of process operations, including waste discharge rates and contaminate concentrations, hours of operation and plans and reports certified by a professional engineer indicating proposed industrial expansion, addition, new construction, or proposed pre-treatment works;
- (c) A schematic process diagram indicating waste discharge points and waste descriptions.
- 8.3 Where a change occurs in the information contained in a Waste Survey Report, the owner or operator of the premises shall submit the new information within thirty (30) days of the change.
- 8.4 Where a change occurs in any information described in a Waste Survey Report, the owner or operator of the premises shall submit a new Waste Survey Report setting out the changes.
- 8.5 No person shall deposit any wastes other than domestic waste in any sanitary or combined sewer unit unless:
- (a) A Waste Survey report has been filed with the Engineer; and
- (b) The Engineer has confirmed that the wastes will comply with the requirements of this Bylaw.
## GENERAL
- For the purpose of the administration of this By-law, the Inspector may, upon production of his/her identification, enter any industrial premises and have free unimpaired access to observe, to measure the flow of wastewater to any sewer and to collect any samples required at reasonable times upon reasonable notice.
- 9.2 No work shall be carried out on any sewer other than by the authority of the Engineer.
- The Municipality shall have the power to stop and close up and prevent from discharging into the wastewater facilities, any private sewer or drain through which substances are discharged or into which substances are thrown, deposited, or supposed to be put, prohibited by this By-law or which are liable to injure the sewers or obstruct the flow of sewage.
- 9.3.2 The Municipality shall not cause any sewer to be closed up pursuant to this subsection unless the owner of the sewer is first notified and given an opportunity to be heard by the Municipality.
## OFFENCES
10. Any person who contravenes any section of this by-law is liable on conviction to a penalty of:
- not less than $500.00 and not more than $2,500.00 based on the level of exceedance and intention (first offence)
- $10,000.00 (second offence)
- Disconnection from the system (third offence)
Any person in default of payment will face imprisonment for a term of not more than ninety (90) days and each day that the offence continues shall constitute a new offence.
Date of First Reading to Approve
Date of Advertisement of Notice of Intention to Approve
Date of Second Reading
Date of Advertisement of Passage of By-Law
Date of Mailing to Minister a Certified Copy of By-Law
October 3'd, 2019
October 30*, 2019 and November 6t*, 2019
November 14", 2019
March 24th, 2021
March 29th, 2021
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