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Policy Id:

SPR/SPA:

Risk:

2.14

Lower Thames Valley, St. Clair Region, Upper Thames River

Significant

Implementing Body

Legal Effect

Policy Tool

Threat Type

Status

Comment

MECP - Wastewater/Sewage Works

Conform with

Prescribed Instruments

Existing

Implemented

Ministry staff have completed the review and screening process to identify previously issued Environmental Compliance Approvals for sewage works located in vulnerable areas where prescribed instrument policies may apply with the initial source protection plan approvals. However, the ministry continues to identify and review new existing Environmental Compliance Approvals as a result of source protection plan amendments on an annual basis. For those existing instruments that were screened by the Ministry and subject to existing threat prescribed instrument policies, the existing instruments had been reviewed to determine if the Standard Operating Policy can be applied or if amendments are needed to protect municipal drinking water sources.

Policy Text:

For existing septic systems or septic system holding tanks (including expansions, modifications or replacements) subject to an Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA), that are a significant drinking water threat, the Province (Ministry of Environment) shall review and, where necessary, amend the ECA to incorporate terms and conditions. These terms and conditions, when implemented, shall manage this activity so that it ceases to be a significant drinking water threat. The terms and conditions may include, but not necessarily be limited to:

mandatory monitoring of groundwater impacts;
contingencies in the event that drinking water quality is adversely affected;
regular and ongoing compliance monitoring;
mandatory system inspections at least every five (5) years; and
annual reporting to the Source Protection Authority on any required inspection or monitoring programs;
upgrading these septic systems to current standards, where necessary.

Monitoring Text:

(5.04) Ministry of Environment, and all other implementers, shall establish
monitoring programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water Act. The
information collected through these monitoring programs shall be included
in a monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the Upper
Thames River Conservation Authority. The information submitted to the
Conservation Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed
pursuant to policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to
meet provincial reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA.
Aspects of the guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to
satisfy provincial reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting
the monitoring reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by February
1 of each year following the first anniversary of the effective date of the
Source Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information since
the submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of the
year previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report, the
information shall include information from the effective date of the Source
Protection Plan.