Canada Plans to Limit Ammonia, Chlorine in Wastewater

OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, December 10, 2004 - The Canadian government is moving to clarify the country's waters by limiting two toxic chemicals - ammonia and chlorine - that are coming from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Environment Minister Stéphane Dion said this week that the government is committed to the development and commercialization of environmental technologies to help municipalities meet the pollution prevention targets.

In 2001, ammonia and chlorine in wastewater effluent were determined to be toxic and harmful to a wide variety of fish, and other aquatic life. Dion said the federal government would require pollution prevention planning for chlorine and issue a written guideline for ammonia.

Environment Minister Stephane Dion (Photo courtesy Parliament of Canada)

The objective of the guideline for ammonia dissolved in water is to achieve and maintain a concentration of ammonia in the effluent that is not acutely lethal to fish, and does not induce chronic toxicity in the receiving waters.

In 1996, ammonia was ranked first by the National Pollutant Release Inventory in terms of amounts released by industry to the Canadian environment. Industrial releases of ammonia to water are estimated at 5,970 metric tons a year. The major industries that emit ammonia are pulp and paper mills, mines, food processing and especially fertilizer production.

Freshwater organisms are most at risk from releases of ammonia in the aquatic environment. Rainbow trout, freshwater scud, walleye, mountain whitefish and fingernail clams are some of the most sensitive species.

In the case of chlorine, there are approximately 400 municipal wastewater treatment plants discharging chlorinated wastewater effluents to aquatic systems across Canada, a 2001 government assessment states.

Thick algae covers stormwater ponds at Belleville, Ontario. (Photo courtesy Lake Ontario Waterkeeper)

Little information is available on discharges of chlorinated wastewater effluents from industry, the assessment report states. There is evidence that some industrial plants use chlorination for disinfection or control of biofouling and discharge their effluents directly to the Canadian environment.

Discharge of chlorinated wastewater effluents was found to be acutely lethal to fish and invertebrate species.

"There is insufficient information to estimate the exposure of humans to chlorinated wastewater effluents or their products," the assessment report states.

The measures to control ammonia and chlorine are the first components of what Dion called a long term strategy for municipal wastewater effluent to ensure that, across the country, the release of wastewater effluents does not pose unacceptable risks to human and ecosystem health and fishery resources.

“All jurisdictions agree that joint cooperative action is necessary to achieve concrete results in reducing these pollutants. This approach is part of the federal efforts to modernize the regulatory process and to meet high standards of environmental protection,” said Dion.

Wastewaster carries contaminants such as ammonia and chlorine. (Photo credit unknown)

The federal government’s main tool to implement this strategy will be a regulation under the Fisheries Act.

This will protect the environment and human health while aligning with measures by the provinces and municipalities in the planning of their investments for municipal wastewater treatment.

Dion said new technology would be encouraged. Research has demonstrated, for instance, that using ultra-violet and de-chlorination techniques can reduce levels of chlorine at a relatively low cost to the municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Over the last decade, the federal government has committed more than C$12 billion to renew and enhance Canada's public infrastructure. Dion said these funds will leverage $30 billion in total infrastructure investments with provincial, territorial and municipal partners, and support large and small communities across Canada.

As of July 2004, the government had announced over C$860 million for more than 2,000 projects that improve water and wastewater infrastructure, through the Infrastructure Canada Program.

Dion said even more money is on the way. In the new C$1 billion Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund Program, wastewater treatment will be a priority,” he promised.