Source Control Program

Compliance issues for restricted waste must be rectified immediately and cannot continue. On a case-by-case basis, ARROW Utilities and the municipality where the business discharges wastewater can manage these types of discharges via Wastewater Discharge Permits. Without a permit, continuing restricted waste concentration exceedances could lead to legal sampling, fines, and abatement.

• Overstrength Vs Compliance Fact Sheet

Wastewater Overstrength Surcharges

Overstrength and additional overstrength surcharges may be assessed to the industry for wastewater discharges that exceed the limits of treatable parameters set out in Schedule ‘C’ of the Bylaw. The overstrength surcharges are billed through your municipality and are adjusted every six months.

• Overstrength Surcharge Information Sheet

Wastewater Inspections

The Municipal Government Act gives your municipality’s representatives the right to conduct drainage inspections on any ICI facility with reasonable notice. These are completed to ensure ICIs are compliant with applicable sewer use bylaws.

What questions to expect during an inspection

• What is your business, and what operations are typically completed?
• Are there any wastewater pre-treatment devices such as sumps, oil or water separators, or grease traps? If so, what drains or fixtures are connected or flow to these devices? We may ask to inspect the inside of these devices to assess their condition.
• If you have any pre-treatment devices, we will need to know details surrounding their maintenance, including who cleans them and how often, where the waste is disposed of, and do you have records on-site in the form of manifests or invoices to support these details.
• Do you have used oil, solvents, or other automotive fluids on-site, and if so, how are they stored and disposed of?
• Do you have any hazardous materials, wastes, or other chemicals that require special disposal? If so, how are they disposed of and is there appropriate documentation?
• Is there appropriate containment surrounding places where chemicals are stored?
• What are your procedures for spill prevention/spill clean-up?

• Fats Oils and Grease Fact Sheet
• Sumps Oil Water Separators Interceptors Fact Sheet

Wastewater Discharge Applications

A Wastewater Discharge Application needs to be submitted to ARROW Utilities when one or more of the following discharges into the ARROW Utilities system is required:

• The average discharge rate will be equal to or is greater than one mega litre (1000 m3) flow/day;
• A temporary discharge is proposed;
• A new continuous discharge is proposed; or
• The proposed discharge does not comply with the terms and conditions of ARROW Utilities’ Quality of Wastewater Bylaw.

ARROW Utilities’ Regulatory Services Source Control Group determines when to initiate the Wastewater Discharge Permit process for an industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) facility based on the inspection of the ICI business.

If the application is approved, a Wastewater Discharge Permit will be issued to the applicant by ARROW Utilities. The applicant will be contacted if the application is denied or requires revision.

If the wastewater in question is to be hauled into one of the Alberta Capital Region’s septage receiving stations, the appropriate municipality must be contacted to gain access to the septage receiving station and to confirm any requirements they may have. A listing of the Alberta Capital Region’s septage receiving stations and approximate locations appears on the final page of the Detailed Wastewater Discharge Application.

Before completing a Wastewater Discharge Application, the ARROW Utilities Quality of Wastewater Bylaw should be referenced to compare the characteristics of the proposed wastewater discharge with the acceptable characteristics and restricted limits within the Bylaw.

ARROW Utilities will not accept uncontaminated storm or groundwater. If the wastewater characteristics to be discharged meet the minimum requirements of Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Waters, please get in touch with your municipality regarding discharge to a storm sewer.

If the wastewater parameters to be discharged are above the Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Waters and are less than the Bylaw restricted limits, please complete and submit the Discharge Application.

If the characteristics do not meet the minimum Bylaw limits, an alternative disposal method may be required; however, ARROW Utilities may still consider the Wastewater Discharge Application or request a revision.

Should I submit a Wastewater Discharge Application?

Follow the flow chart below to help you decide whether you should submit an application to ARROW Utilities.