Aylmer Service Centre115 rue Principale Gatineau (Quebec) J9H 3M2

Buckingham Service Centre 515 rue Charles Gatineau (Quebec) J8L 2K4

Gatineau Service Centre 144 boulevard de l’Hôpital Gatineau (Quebec) J8T 7S7

Hull Service Centre 775 boulevard de la Carrière Gatineau (Quebec) J8Y 6V1

Masson-Angers Service Centre 57 chemin de Montréal Est Gatineau (Quebec) J8M 1K3

To find out moreDo not hesitate to contact your local service centre, call 3-1-1 or visit www.gatineau.ca

Sewer use

BuSineSSeS, inSTiTuTionS and induSTrieSRequired permits and authorizationsBusinesses, institutions and industries require separate authorization for every dis-charge of any substance or water used in a process into a manhole or drainage well.

Facilities connected to the sewer system require a permit to discharge cooling water and any other water used in a process if any of the following three conditions apply: •thedischargeisatanaverageorpeakrateequaltoorgreaterthan100m3 per day; •thewastewaterBOD

5* is equal to or greater than 128 mg/l; or

•hewastewaterTSS**concentrationisequaltoorgreaterthan200mg/l.

Companies that are in the business of emptying septic tanks may only discharge the sludge from septic tanks and chemical toilets at the Gatineau wastewater treatment plantlocatedat848ArueNotre-Dame.Theyrequireapermit.Onlysludgefromproperties within Gatineau will be accepted. Disposal fees apply.

Wastewater treatment equipment Ownersoroperatorsofarestaurant,businessorinstitutioninvolvedinfoodprepara-tion must have a grease interceptor installed and maintained in accordance with the CSA B481 specifications.

Dentists’ offices must install and maintain dental amalgam separators in accordance withISO11143specificationstoavoiddischarginganydentalamalgamproductsintothe sewer system.

ConTrol and offenCeSInspectors are assigned to ensure compliance with the by-law throughout Gatineau. They have the right to enter and inspect any private property at any reasonable time.

You may be held responsible for any municipal equipment malfunction, and Ville de Gatineau reserves the right to perform any cleanup or repairs at your cost.

A person who contravenes this by-law is liable to a fine that can range between $500and$500,000,plusadministrativecosts.

ProTeCTing The environmenTMunicipal wastewater can pose risks to public health and the environment. In order to avoid such risks, it is important to reduce the discharge of pollutants into the sewer system right at the source because wastewater treatment plants cannot remove everything.

Discharging prohibited materials can also cause malfunctions, back-ups and blockages. This can result in property damage, high

maintenance costs and untreated wastewater spilling into the river.

Without your cooperation, it simply won’t work!

oTherMunicipal wastewater generally contains discharge from different sources, as well as domestic and industrial chemicals. The sewer system and pumping stations redirect these to a wastewater treatment plant for further treatment before releasing the water into the river. This treatment is governed by provincial stan-dards. Manholes and drainage wells found in the streets are designed exclusively for rainwater. This water is redirected to a waterway, generally without further treatment.

By-law aPPliCaTionThe information in this brochure is based on Ville de Gatineau by-law number 406-2007andisintendedforinformationonly.Itdoesnotreplacetheprovisionsof the by-law.

April2013

The By-lawIn2007,Gatineauadoptedby-lawnumber406-2007concerningtheuseofsewers.Thisby-lawwasamendedin2012.Itappliestoresidents,business,institutions and industries. Its purpose is to protect the environment, public health and the sewer system, as well as the city’s wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Standards

Prohibited disposal down drains and toilets

The following may not be discharged down the drain or toilet given that they could block or obstruct the sewers:

•Solids: wipes, sanitary napkins, cotton swabs, condoms, hair, small animal carcasses, etc. These belong in the garbage can. Small animal carcasses should be placed in a bag before you put them in the garbage.

•Food: table scraps, grease, etc. Food waste can be placed in your brown bin for composting, and oil and grease can be taken to the ecocentre.

•Household hazardous waste: engine oil, solvents, medication, cleaning products, etc. Call 3-1-1 for information on how to dispose of these materials.

Garbage grinders may no longer be installed in Gatineau.

Prohibited disposal in manholes or drainage wells

Liquids and substances from equipment or a process may not be directly or indirectly discharged into a manhole or drainage well without prior authoriza-tion from Ville de Gatineau. Residents may dispose of sewage from a trailer or RV at any time for free at the wastewater treatment plant located at 858A rue Notre-Dame (Gatineau sector).

*BOD5: biochemical oxygen demand over five days.

** TSS: total suspended solids.

But tHat’S

not all!