Burrard Inlet Environmental Indicators Report - the BIEAP and ...

Burrard Inlet Environmental Indicators Report February 2008
wastewater treatment plants cannot remove 100% of the copper, the Lions Gate Wastewater
Treatment Plant is an ongoing source of copper to Burrard Inlet
• ongoing identification and remediation of contaminated sites, which will help reduce amounts
of contaminants that enter Burrard Inlet
• ongoing improvements in spill containment and treatment technology
Residents can play an important role in reducing non-point sources of contaminants to roadways,
the storm drain system, local streams and Burrard Inlet:
• by ensuring they properly use or eliminate use of moss and algae killing products (pesticides,
treated roof shingles), which may contain copper
• by avoiding release of common household contaminants (runoff from roads and gardens,
draining of hot tubs and pools, improper disposal of household products)
Links with other water and sediment quality issues
Separation of
Combined Sewer
Overflows (CSOs)
Areas of Vancouver and
Burnaby are served by a
CSO system. CSOs
discharge a combination of
stormwater and domestic
waste to the wastewater
treatment plant under dry
and low rainfall conditions.
However, they discharge
waste untreated to Burrard
Inlet when the sewer
capacity is exceeded
during heavy rainstorms.
Metro Vancouver is
committed to reducing
CSO discharges into
Burrard Inlet. At present, a
comprehensive automatic
sampling program is
underway to assess the
volume of overflows and
determine concentrations
and loading of pollutants in
order to prioritize CSO
separation activities.
Surfactant Reduction
Program
Surfactants are used to make
detergents and other personal
care products more effective
cleaners. However, they have
been shown to be a cause of fish
mortalities in some of the
regularly scheduled effluent
toxicity tests at the Lions Gate
Wastewater Treatment Plant.
High levels of surfactants can
impair gill function of fish,
resulting in mortalities.
To reduce toxicity of the
wastewater, Metro Vancouver
developed a Surfactant
Reduction Program to inform
and educate Lower Mainland
residents about using less
detergent. With the soft tap water
in the Lower Mainland, much
less detergent is needed than in
areas of hard water (the
amounts listed on the packages).
Reducing the amount of
detergent used will save
residents money, prolong
appliance and clothing lifetime,
and reduce the negative
environmental effects of
surfactants in Burrard Inlet.
For more information:
www.gvrd.bc.ca/sewerage/reside
ntial_sources.htm
Pharmaceutical Return Program
Pharmaceuticals, personal care products
and cleansers enter the wastewater stream
when people shower, take medication or
clean their house. Many of these compounds
are not removed at the wastewater treatment
plant, so are discharged to the environment.
Specialized chemical analysis has indicated
the presence of over one hundred organic
compounds, and their degradation products,
in receiving waters across North America
(Kolpin et al. 2002). It is difficult to measure
the effects of low levels of so many
compounds on marine organisms; however,
disruption of reproductive systems of fish
and other organisms has been well
documented (United States Geological
Survey 2007).
Providing alternatives for disposal of leftover
medications so people do not dispose of
them in the garbage or the toilet is one way
to address this situation. BC Ministry of
Environment developed the Environmental
Protection Division Medications Return
Program, and has tracked amounts of
medications returned to pharmacies since
1998. Amounts returned have increased
annually, which may be attributable to
increased general awareness, increased
pharmaceutical use among the population,
and/or increased awareness of the return
program resulting from targeted awareness
raising campaigns.
For more information:
www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/ips/meds/ind
ex.html
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