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Sewage Treatment/Wastewater Facilities 18.3 UP

2018.03PU SEWAGE TREATMENT / WASTEWATER FACILITIES

Whereas #1 in 1995 the National Council of Women of Canada urged the Government of Canada to:

  1. effectively address the national environmental issue of sewage by allocating funds for the upgrading of wastewater management facilities, to end the discharge of untreated sewage into Canada’s lakes, rivers and seas;
  2. enforce existing legislation such as the Fisheries Act, the Canada Water Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act where these acts relate to sewage disposal;
  3. promote provincial and territorial development and enforcement of municipal and industrial sewage abatement plans;
  4. continue public education on source control and pollution prevention methods; and

Whereas #2 the federal government passed regulations in 2012 under the Fisheries Act called Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations; and

Whereas #3 untreated waste water is still one of the largest sources of pollution in Canadian rivers, lakes and oceans; and

Whereas #4 approximately 25 per cent of Canadian communities, large and small, have inadequate treatment or management of the wastewater that they generate every day; and

Whereas #5 The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) estimates $18 billion will be needed to comply with the federal standards; therefore be it

Resolved #1 that the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) adopt as policy that sewage treatment and wastewater facilities comply with federal regulations; and be it further

Resolved #2 that NCWC urge the Government of Canada in consultation with provincial, territorial and aboriginal governments to ensure compliance with federal regulations for wastewater treatment and management by:

  1. shortening the timeline for compliance with federal regulations for wastewater treatment and management;
  2. ensuring sufficient funding for upgrading sewage treatment plants;
  3. specifying that a definite portion of money given to municipalities and First Nations Reserves for infrastructure be applied to waste water upgrades;
  4. monitoring the results and reporting yearly;
  5. increase the fines for non-compliance; and be it further

Resolved #3 that NCWC urge the members of the International Council of Women to work with their respective Governments to ensure adequate treatment of waste water.