Environmental Enforcement
The Environmental Enforcement Section enforces Niagara Region's Sewer Use By-law. It monitors industrial and commercial discharges to the sanitary and storm sewer system for compliance with the by-law.
Sewer Use By-law
The Sewer-use By-law protects the sewer infrastructure, which includes the sewer lines, sewage pump-stations and wastewater treatment plants.
Discharges in excess of the by-law may damage the sewer infrastructure and create treatment problems at the wastewater plants. Discharges that impact the treatment plant processes may result in abnormal discharges to the receiving water bodies that could have an adverse impact on the natural environment.
Sewage Haulers
Baker Road Facility Closed
The Baker Road Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 347 Baker Rd N in Grimsby, will be closed to ALL hauled sewage (winery/process/septic/holding tank/RV wastes) until further notice due to plant operational issues and construction activity.
Please contact the plant at 905-945-3089 for specific information.
General Information
Sewage Haulage Forms and Permits
Environmental Enforcement
The Environmental Enforcement Staff is comprised of Environmental Enforcement Officers and technicians, and supported by our Environmental Laboratory.
Environmental Enforcement Officers
The Environmental Enforcement Officers conduct inspections of industrial and commercial facilities, audit sewage haulers and respond to spills and other environmental incidents throughout the Region. The officers also administer overstrength surcharge and industrial compliance agreements and audit the hauled waste program.
Environmental Enforcement Officers are appointed by Regional Council as By-law Enforcement Officers for the Regional Municipality of Niagara By-law No. 47-2008 (as amended). They are also appointed as Provincial Offences Officers under the provisions of the Provincial Offences Act and have all the Powers of Entry and Enforcement provided by the Act and the By-law.
Samples taken by the Enforcement Staff are submitted to the Niagara Region Environmental Laboratory and other accredited laboratories for compliance testing.
Environmental Laboratory
The Environmental Laboratory analyses samples of industrial effluents, wastewater treatment plant effluents, surface water, groundwater, biosolids, and leachate for a variety of environmental parameters. The majority of the samples are received from the Region’s wastewater treatment plants and are analyzed to ensure compliance with Ministry granted Certificates of Approval. The laboratory also supports the Environmental Enforcement section and offers services to other Regional Departments as needed.
The modern and well equipped laboratory is located in the Region's Environmental Centre. The laboratory is accredited to internationally recognized ISO 17025:2005 quality standard for specific tests registered with the Canadian Association for Environmental Analytical Laboratories.
The laboratory is staffed with dedicated technicians and technologists well trained to meet the challenges of analyzing thousands of samples each year. The staff also assists personnel at the Region’s water and wastewater plants with analytical and quality control issues.
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