Construction Site and Wastewater Management

• Proponents requiring discharges to the City’s storm, combined or sanitary sewer system for construction related activities, will be required to obtain a Construction Dewatering Sewer Discharge Permit (Permit) from the City’s Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement group. This Permit is required prior to the start of dewatering.  The early submission of an application is recommended to avoid delays in permit processing.
• The Construction Dewatering application review takes approximately four weeks to approve after receiving a fully completed application package.
• The Permit covers temporary discharges for a period of up to 3 years. If construction dewatering discharges are expected to continue beyond 3 years a new Permit application should be submitted at least four weeks before the permit expiry date.
• If information such as the ‘contractor completing the work’ or the ‘flow monitoring device to be used’ is missing from the application, you may still submit a Permit application. Once your application is received, it will be reviewed, and the permit pre-approval may be issued. Once the pending information is received, at least 3 weeks ahead of the intended discharge date, the permit will be signed and approved.

The applicant must comply with any requirements as set out within their issued Permit.

Reporting requirements may include:

• periodic testing and analysis of discharged water quality
• tracking and reporting of discharged water volumes on a daily/weekly/monthly or quarterly basis

Maximum flow rate in liters/second may be required for submission where discharged volumes are recorded in 5 second intervals.

Additional reporting requirements may include:

• log of rain events
• log of shutdowns and start-ups as a result of rain events
• log of batch discharges
• log of average/maximum daily flow rate per month
• number of operating days per month

• Which sewer system will discharge be directed into (Sanitary, Combined, or Storm)?
• Will water quality treatment will be involved prior to discharge to meet Sewer Use Bylaw limits?
• How often will sampling occur to ensure ongoing compliance with Sewer Use Bylaw Schedule B or C limits, and/or Federal/Provincial standards?
• How will peak flow rate be controlled, monitored, and tracked?
• What is your contingency plan if sewer capacity is restricted (ie: where discharge is only allowed during dry weather conditions)?
• Is an approval from the Ministry of Environment or other Public Authorities having jurisdiction required?
• Will a contractor be completing the dewatering? If so, ensure the contactor is listed as the ‘Occupier of the Premise’ within the Sewer Discharge Permit Application.

Discharge to Sanitary Sewer/Combined Sewer

• Must comply with the City’s Sewer Use Bylaw, Schedule B.
• There is a treatment fee associated to all discharges to the sanitary/combined sewer system based on cubic meters discharged.
• A quarterly administrative fee will be applied for the length of the permit.

Discharge to Storm Sewer

• Must comply with the City’s Sewer Use Bylaw, Schedule C; in addition to limits prescribed by the Ministry of Environment or other Public Authorities having jurisdiction.
• You may require a higher-level government approval including but not limited to an Environment Activity Sector Registry (EASR) or an Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA).
• Discharges to storm sewer may allow greater flexibility for high flow discharges.
• Unlike discharges to the Sanitary Sewer and Combined Sewer, discharges to the Storm Sewer will not be subject to treatment fees.
• Any construction dewatering activities that indirectly discharge into the City’s sanitary and/or combined sewer system by way of initial discharge into the storm sewer system will be subject to the construction dewatering volumetric discharge fee.
• A quarterly administrative fee will be applied for the length of the permit.

Runoff water from construction sites is a major source of water pollution. Runoff water contains contaminants that degrade water quality in streams, wetlands and ground water.

The Federal Fisheries Act prohibits the deposit or release of sediments to waters. Violations are subject to a maximum daily fine of $500,000 and/or imprisonment.

How to Prevent Runoff Water from Construction Sites

• Identify all storm drains and catch basins near the construction site and ensure all workers are aware of their location to prevent pollutants from entering them.
• Protect affected catch basins by covering the inlet with filter fabric.
• Develop a spill response and containment procedure and ensure it is posted and visible.
• Keep private drain connections capped. Private drain connections to the sanitary sewer must not be used to drain basements or dispose of ground water. Rainwater entering the sanitary sewers can lead to basement flooding and discharges of raw sewage to local creeks and rivers.
• Develop and implement a thorough monitoring and maintenance program such as regularly checking and vacuuming out catch basins, pavement cleaning and repairing or replacing silt fence and filter fabric.
• Protect groundwater from surface infiltration.
• Minimize the amount of disturbed soil and limit the time that disturbed areas are exposed.
• Prevent runoff from other properties from entering the construction site.
• Reduce the velocity of the runoff travelling across the site by using straw bales and check dams.
• Sweep and shovel paved outdoor surfaces rather than spraying with water, which can wash pollutants into the drainage system.
• Educate equipment operators to report and contain spills such as fluid from ruptured hydraulic lines or fuel leaks, and have spill kits readily available.
• Perform all vehicle maintenance off site.
• Conduct daily site cleaning of public sidewalks and roads.
• During construction activity, storm drains and catch basins must be protected at all times.

When Working on a Construction Site

• Never let pollutants such as fluids from vehicles, paints, concrete or concrete wash water; or sediment laden runoff water onto roads, or into ditches, storm drains or catch basins.
• Never let wastes enter basement sump pumps. Sump pump discharges are directed to the storm sewer and do not receive treatment before entering our local waterways.

Erosion and Sediment Control Plan

The erosion and sediment control plan is an important part of the site development plan and should outline all the necessary steps, including scheduling, to assure proper erosion and sediment control during all phases of construction. The plan should include both a narrative report and a site plan.

A good erosion and sediment control plan should:

• Prevent erosion by minimizing the disturbed area, stabilizing exposed soil and re-vegetating slopes.
• Address sediment control measures, which focus on intercepting sediment-laden runoff that has escaped the erosion control measures. Sediment control measures include silt fences, check dams, sediment traps and sediment basins.
• Monitor and maintain sediment controls before, during and after rain events.