volume 1 - Halifax Regional Municipality

Halifax Water Integrated Resource Plan
Integrated Resource Plan Drivers and Objectives
Over the longer term, the following regulatory developments can reasonably be
expected to occur:
• Reducing Disinfection By-Products – Trihalomethanes (THMs), Haloacetic acids
(HAAs).
Continued use of chlorine-based (and bromine-based) disinfectants is expected to
result in continued scrutiny of the health and environmental effects of halogenated
compounds that form during drinking water treatment. In the United States, for
example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has
identified chlorinated disinfection by-products as a group of contaminants that will
be the focus of efforts in the short term. Actions under consideration include
increasing disinfection by-product precursor removal targets. The U.S. EPA example
is provided here because, historically, Canada has often followed developments in
the United States with similar regulatory initiatives here.
The Halifax Water WQMP places attention on the reduction of THMs and HAAs to
mitigate risk exposure with respect to compliance when new, stricter standards
come into place. The WSP improvement projects needed to meet expected
disinfection by-product precursor removal targets are already incorporated in the
Five-Year Capital Plan. Implementation of the water treatment process
improvements delivered by these projects will ensure future compliance.
• New Parameters and Lower Maximum Acceptable Concentrations (MACs)
Over the longer term, it is reasonable to expect that the Federal-Provincial-
Territorial Committee on Drinking Water will continue to review the MACs for
individual parameters and propose changes when warranted by new information.
As detection limits are lowered, it is reasonable to assume that existing MACs may
be reduced to reflect new scientific information in cases where adverse health
effects may, or are expected to, occur. It is also reasonable to expect that
guidelines will be introduced for new parameters.
The requirements for new drinking water quality parameters or lower MACs should
be readily addressed with continued updates of the WQMP, the incorporation of
the WQMP into a system-wide proposed Water Master Plan and the on-going
Halifax Water collaborative research with Dalhousie University.
4.3.2 Wastewater System
Halifax Water has a strong commitment to ensuring high quality wastewater services
and has operationalized this commitment through a variety of actions, policies, and
programs. All wastewater facilities owned and operated by Halifax Water have received
the required approvals, and certified operators of appropriate classification operate all
facilities.
Revision: 2012-10-29 Integrated Resource Plan 34
October 31 2012 Page 67 of 272