About the regulations These regulations aim to reduce the threats to fish and their habitat, and to human health from fish consumption. They decrease the level of deleterious substances from wastewater effluents deposited into waters frequented by fish. They also set achievable national effluent quality standards for owners and operators of wastewater systems that collect and discharge up to 100 cubic metres or more of effluent per day.
Wastewater Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations Reported Data Bilateral agreements: wastewater Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations : registry of authorizations
Pollution and waste management Fisheries Act Registry: pollution prevention Statistics Canada: Municipal wastewater systems in Canada, 2018-2020 Indigenous Services Canada: Investing in water and wastewater infrastructure Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - The Canada Community-Building Fund Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Forest Products and Fisheries Act Division
Industrial Sectors and Chemicals Directorate
Environmental Protection Branch
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 St. Joseph Blvd, 19th Floor
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
E-mail: eu-ww@ec.gc.ca
Tel: (819) 420-7727
Fax: (819) 420-7380
Read the regulations
These regulations aim to reduce the threats to fish and their habitat, and to human health from fish consumption. They decrease the level of deleterious substances from wastewater effluents deposited into waters frequented by fish. They also set achievable national effluent quality standards for owners and operators of wastewater systems that collect and discharge up to 100 cubic metres or more of influent per day.
Consolidated text of the regulations with table of contents
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Regulations last amended on 2024-05-27. Previous versions of the regulations Enabling Act: Fisheries Act Legislative change These regulations aim to reduce the threats to fish and their habitat, and to human health from fish consumption. They decrease the level of deleterious substances from wastewater effluents deposited into waters frequented by fish. They also set achievable national effluent quality standards for owners and operators of wastewater systems that collect and discharge up to 100 cubic metres or more of effluent per day.
Canada Gazette , Part II * Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 158, Number 12. June 5, 2024. Regulations Amending the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations. * Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 152, Number 21. October 17, 2018. Order Declaring that the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations Do Not Apply in Quebec: SOR/2018-194. * Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 148, Number 26. December 17, 2014. Order Declaring that the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations Do Not Apply in Yukon.
Notices * Canada Gazette , Part I, Volume 157, Number 21. May 27, 2023. Regulations Amending the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations. * Administrative Agreement between the Government of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada regarding the administration of the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations in New Brunswick. * Administrative Agreement between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada regarding the administration of the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations in Saskatchewan. * Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 154, Number 26. June 27, 2020. Notice of intent to amend the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations. * Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 154, Number 18. May 2, 2020. Notice with respect to the availability of a proposed administrative agreement. * Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 152, Number 37. September 15, 2018. Canada-Quebec Agreement on Acts and Regulations Applicable to the Municipal and Provincial Wastewater Systems in Quebec. * Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 152, Number 8. February 24, 2018. Notice respecting the Administrative Agreement between the Government of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada regarding the administration of the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations in New Brunswick. * Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 149, Number 12. March 21, 2015. Order Declaring that the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations Do Not Apply in Quebec. * Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 149, Number 2. January 10, 2015. Administrative Agreement between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada Regarding the Administration of the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations in Saskatchewan. * Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 148, Number 46. November 15, 2014. Agreement on the Equivalency of Laws Applicable to Wastewater Systems Located in Yukon. * Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 148, Number 26. June 28, 2014. Order Declaring that the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations Do Not Apply in Yukon.
Related forward regulatory plans * Forward Regulatory Plan: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Past consultations * From May 27, 2023 to July 26, 2023. Share and view ideas: Proposed amendments to the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations
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2025-12-19