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TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
Town of Yarmouth
SEWER DISCHARGE BYLAW
Bylaw Name: A Bylaw Respecting the Regulations of Discharges to the Public Sewer System
Bylaw No.: TOY 9D
Effective Date: August 24th, 1995
Amended Date: November 25th, 2020
1.0
This Bylaw may be cited as the "Sewer Discharge Bylaw".
2.0
Definitions
a. "Biochemical Oxygen Demand" or "BOD" means the quantity of oxygen utilized,
expressed in milligrams per litre, in the biochemical oxidation of matter within a one
hundred and twenty hour period at a temperature of twenty degrees centigrade as
determined in procedure set forth in "Standard Methods" ; (refer to y under these
definitions)
b. "Town" means the "Town of Yarmouth" or the area contained within its municipal
boundaries as the context requires; and all private and municipal sewers that discharge
into the Town's sewerage system;
c. "Chemical Oxygen Demand" or "COD" means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the
chemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedures expressed in
milligrams per litre, according to "Standard Methods";
d. "Colour of liquid" means the appearance of a liquid from which the suspended solids have
been removed;
e. "Combined Sewer" means a sewer that is intended to conduct wastewater and
stormwater;
f. "Council" means the "Town" Council of the Town of Yarmouth;
g. "Domestic Waste" means waste derived principally from dwellings;
h. "Effluent" means treated wastewater flowing out of a treatment plant;
i.
"Engineer" means the Engineer for "Town";
j.
"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;
k. "Industrial Premises" means an area of land with or without buildings or structures on
which activities pertaining to industry, manufacturing, commerce, trade, business, or
institutions as distinguished from domestic dwellings;
l.
"Inspector" means a person authorized by the "Town" of "Yarmouth" to carry out
observations and inspections and to take samples as prescribed by this Bylaw;
m. "Matter" includes any solid, liquid, or gas;
n. "Natural Outlet" is any outlet from a natural watercourse into another watercourse,
pond, ditch or lake, or other body of surface or groundwater;
TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
o. "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;
p. "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or
group;
q. "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
definition as found in "Standard Methods";
r. "Phenolic Compounds" means hydroxyl derivatives of benzene and its condensed nuclei,
concentrations of which shall be determined by "Standard Methods";
s. "Professional Engineer" means a registered member in good standing of the Association
of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia;
t. "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;
u. "Sanitary Sewer" means a sewer for the collection and transmission of domestic,
commercial and industrial wastewater or any of them, and to which uncontaminated or
cooling water, storm, surface, and groundwater are not intentionally admitted;
v. "Sanitary wipes" Any type of wipe,(sometimes referred to as wet wipes, disinfecting
cloths, or otherwise) or cloth material other than "sanitary paper" that may or may not
be labeled as flushable, when flushed, does not break into small pieces quickly, is buoyant
to any degree, and is manufactured from a material not considered readily degradable in
a range of natural environments.
w. "Sanitary paper" is defined as a paper material designed for sanitary use, when flushed
will easily and quickly break into small pieces and will quickly degrade in a range of natural
environments.
x. "Sewage" is defined to have same meaning as in the Municipal Government Act;
y. "Sewer" is defined to have same meaning as in the Municipal Government Act;
z. "Wastewater facilities" is defined to have same meaning as in the Municipal Government
Act;
aa. "Standard Methods for the examination of Water and Wastewater" (herein referred to
as "Standard Methods") means the analytical and examination procedures provided in
the edition current at the time of testing, published jointly by the American Public Health
Association and the American Water Works Association or any publication by or under
the authority of the Canadian Standards Association deemed appropriate by the "Town";
bb. "Storm Sewer" is defined to have same meaning as in the Municipal Government Act;
cc. "Stormwater" is defined to have same meaning as in the Municipal Government Act;
dd. "Suspended Solids" means insoluble matter that can be removed by filtration through a
standard glass fibre filter as indicated by "Standard Methods";
ee. "True Colour Units" means the measure of the colour of the water from which turbidity
has been removed;
TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
ff. "Uncontaminated Water" means any water, including water from a public or private
water works, to which no matter has been added as a consequence of its use, or to modify
its use, by any person, and may include cooling water;
gg. "Waste" means any material discharged into the sewerage system;
hh. "Wastewater" means any liquid waste containing domestic, animal, vegetable, mineral,
or chemical matter in solution or suspension carried from any premises;
ii. "Watercourse" means the bed and shore of every river, stream, lake, creek, pond, spring,
lagoon, swamp, marsh, wetland, ravine, gulch or other natural body of water and the
water therein, and any channel, ditch, reservoir, drain, land drainage works or other
manmade surface feature, whether it contains or conveys water or not.
3.0
Use of Sewers
3.1
Grease and Oils
a. Every owner or operator of a restaurant or other industrial, commercial or institutional
premises where food is cooked, processed or prepared, for which the premises is
connected directly or indirectly to a sanitary or combined sewer, shall take all necessary
measures to ensure that oil and grease are prevented from entering the sanitary or
combined sewer in excess of the provisions of this bylaw. Grease interceptors shall not
discharge to storm sewers.
b. The owner or operator of the premises as set out in this Subsection shall install, operate,
and properly maintain an oil and grease interceptor in any piping system at its premises
that connects directly or indirectly to a sewer. The oil and grease interceptors shall be
installed in compliance with the most current requirements of the applicable Building
Code. The installation of the oil and grease interceptor shall meet the requirements of
the Canadian Standards Association national standard CAN/CSA B-481.2, as amended.
c. All oil and grease interceptors shall be maintained according to the manufacturer's
recommendations. The testing, maintenance and performance of the interceptor shall
meet the requirements of CAN/CSA B-481. Traps should be cleaned before the thickness
of the organic material and solids residuals is greater than twenty-five percent of the
available volume; cleaning frequency should not be less than every four weeks.
Maintenance requirements should be posted.
3.2
Discharges to combined and/or Sanitary Sewers
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 any of the following:
a. Hydrogen sulphide, mercaptan, carbon disulphide, other reduced sulphur compounds,
amines and ammonia;
b. Ashes, cinders, sand, potters clay, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar,
plastics, wood, sanitary wipes, any material not considered readily degradable, or any
TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
material which could impede the proper function of the combined and/or sanitary sewer
and/or the wastewater collection system equipment and/or the wastewater treatment
facility;
c. Paunch manure or intestinal contents from horses, cattle, sheep or swine, hog bristles,
pig hooves or toenails, animal intestines or stomach casings, bones, hides or parts
thereof, manure of any kind, poultry entrails, heads, feet or feathers, eggshells, fleshing
and hair resulting from tanning operations;
d. Fish, parts of fish, fish wastes, 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 in any
quantity;
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 colouring materials which pass through a sewage works and
discolour the sewage works effluent;
i.
Wastewater containing any of the following in excess of the indicated concentrations:
Aluminum (Al)
50 Milligrams/Litre
Antimony (Sb)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Arsenic (As)
1 Milligram/Litre
Barium (Ba)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Beryllium (Be)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Bismuth (Bi)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Cadmium (Cd)
0.1 Milligram/Litre
Chlorides expressed as Cl
1500 Milligrams/Litre
Chromium (Cr)
4 Milligrams/Litre
Cobalt (Co)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Copper (Cu)
1 Milligrams/Litre
Cyanide expressed as HCN
2 Milligrams/Litre
Fluorides expressed as F
10 Milligrams/Litre
Iron (Fe)
50 Milligrams/Litre
Lead (Pb)
2 Milligrams/Litre
Manganese (Mn)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Mercury (Hg)
0.1 Milligrams/Litre
Molybdenum (M0)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Nickel (Ni)
2 Milligrams/Litre
Phenolic Compounds
1 Milligram/Litre
Phosphorous (P)
30 Milligrams/Litre
Sulphates expressed as S04
1500 Milligrams/Litre
Sulphide expressed as H2S
2 Milligrams/Litre
TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
Selenium (Se)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Silver (Ag)
2 Milligrams/Litre
Tin (Sn)
5 Milligrams/Litre
Zinc (Zn)
3 Milligrams/Litre
j.
Wastewater of which BOD exceeds three hundred (300) milligrams per litre;
k. Wastewater containing more than three hundred fifty (350) milligrams per litre of
suspended solids;
l.
Wastewater of which the 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.
3.3
The presence in wastewater of any one of the matters in Section 3.2 in a concentration in excess
of its limits constitutes a separate offence.
3.4
Compliance with any limit is not attainable simply by dilution.
3.5
Discharges to Storm Sewers
Except as otherwise provided in this 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.
4.0
Sampling & Analysis
4.1
The owner or operator of industrial premises with one or more connection 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.
4.2
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.
4.3
Every manhole, device or facility installed as required by subsection 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.
4.4
The owner or operator of industrial premises shall at all times ensure that every manhole, device
or facility installed as required by subsection 1 is at all times accessible for purposes of observing
and sampling the wastewater and measuring the flow of wastewater therein.
4.5
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 Bylaw.
TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
a. One sample alone is sufficient and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing 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, analyses
and examinations of wastewater, uncontaminated water and stormwater, 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 all metal both dissolved and particulate.
4.6
Method of Sampling & Analysis
For the demonstration of subsequent compliance after an exceedance has been determined to
have occurred as defined in these bylaws;
a. A minimum of four (4) twenty-four (24) hour composite samples shall be taken, three (3)
during the work week and one (1) during the weekend;
b. Analyses shall be conducted separately on each day's grab sample;
c. 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.
4.7
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.
5.0
Spills
5.1
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 Engineer.
5.2
For any of the discharges in subsection 5.1 for which the person is required to forthwith notify
the municipality, the notification shall include the following information:
a. name of the company and the address of location of spill;
b. name of 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 hazard; and
e. corrective actions being taken to control the spill.
5.3
Within five days following a spill, the person 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.
TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
6.0
Reports
6.1
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.
6.2
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 contaminant
concentrations, hours of operation and plans and reports certified by a professional
engineer indicating proposed industrial expansion, addition, new construction, or
proposed pretreatment works; and
c. a schematic process diagram indicating waste discharge points and waste descriptions.
6.3
The Waste Survey report shall be in the form attached as Schedule "A".
6.4
Where a change occurs in the information contained in a Waste Survey Report, the owner
operator of the premises shall submit the new information within 30 days of the change.
6.5
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.
6.6
No person shall deposit any wastes other than domestic waste in any sanitary or combined sewer
until:
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.
7.0
General
7.1
For the purpose of the administration of this By-Law, pursuant to Section 503 of the Municipal
Government Act, the Inspector may, upon production of his 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.
7.2
The Council shall have the power to stop and close up and prevent from discharging into the
wastewater system 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.
7.3
The Council 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 Council.
TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
8.0
Offenses
Any person who contravenes any section of this Bylaw is liable on conviction to a penalty of not
less than $100.00 and not more than $10,000.00 and in default of payment to Imprisonment for
a term of not more than one (1) year.
Clerk's Annotation for Official Bylaw Book
Date of Adoption: August 24th, 1995
Date of Approval of Amended Bylaw: September 9th, 1999
Date of Approval of Amended Bylaw: November 25th, 2020
I certify that this 'Sewer Discharge Bylaw' was adopted by Council as indicated above.
Town Clerk: Date:
TOY 19 - Sewer Discharge Bylaw
Amended
Date of First Reading
September 10th, 2020
Notice of Intent
September 22nd - 30th, 2020 (Radio)
Date of Second Reading
November 12th, 2020
Date of Publication
November 25th, 2020
Coped to SNSMR