Insights and Strategies for Managing Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Wastewater

Canadian Water Network (2018-2020)

Challenge

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) is a growing field of study. Individual researchers and research organizations are advancing the understanding of risks posed by individual CECs and complex mixtures of CECs in wastewater effluent. However, CECs in wastewater are largely unregulated. Across Canada there is no coordinated regulatory guidance on how municipalities and utilities should manage risks from CECs.

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, a national regulatory mechanism for managing toxic substances, can contribute to improved wastewater effluent quality by controlling the use of substances that are difficult to treat. A federal Chemicals Management Plan has been established under the Environmental Protection Act, which includes the monitoring and surveillance of certain chemicals in the environment, including in wastewater effluent. The results of the sampling program provide insight on the removal of various substances through a variety of treatment processes, although this has yet to be translated into broad-based actionable information for municipalities and utilities across Canada.

There are opportunities to leverage and optimize established and evolving wastewater treatment processes to provide some risk reduction for CECs in addition to addressing conventional and known contaminants. Existing secondary and tertiary treatment processes may be retrofitted or optimized to mitigate risks from priority CECs. However, a better understanding and further clarity is needed in determining the CECs of priority for monitoring and treatment. Further research is also needed on optimal technologies and treatment processes for achieving the necessary treatment efficiencies.

Project

In October 2018, Canadian Water Network launched a pilot Strategic Sharing Group for members of the Canadian Municipal Water Consortium’s leadership group. The CEC Strategic Sharing Group focused on strategies for managing risks from CECs in wastewater discharge, including monitoring, treatment and other policies.

CWN hosted seven meetings from October 2018 to August 2020 with the following objectives:

1. Explore strategies for managing risks from contaminants of emerging concern, primarily in wastewater discharge.
2. Learn from leading utilities across Canada what work – formal or informal – is underway on this topic, in order to identify common challenges and help inform each utility’s strategic program development in CEC risk management.
3. Advance the development of utility management strategies and best practices in Canada on managing risks associated with CECs in wastewater discharge.

The Canadian Municipal Water Consortium’s Strategic Sharing Groups provide meaningful peer-to-peer sharing opportunities on emerging issues. Canadian Water Network facilitates an environment for confidential dialogue among participating senior utility managers, and where appropriate, invites leading experts to share their knowledge. The discussion is directed by the group and supported by Canadian Water Network staff, who frame the issue, facilitate discussions, invite relevant guest experts, incorporate insights from the international community, create meeting captures and use critical takeaways and learnings to shape future Consortium initiatives to support the municipal community.

Outcomes

The participants brought a range of municipal and utility experience to the CEC Strategic Sharing Group. The meetings covered a range of discussion topics directed by the group’s interests and needs related to risk management of CECs in wastewater discharge, including general sharing on contaminant status, sampling and monitoring strategies, regulatory needs, risk management policies and risk communication. Several leading experts were invited to share their knowledge. The final meeting took place on August 5, 2020 and focused on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on utility monitoring programs and modification of sampling procedures due to COVID-19 provincial guidelines.

The participating utility leaders benefited from this Strategic Sharing Group because the discussions were based on emerging needs within their respective communities. They learned from both leading experts and their peers and will use this knowledge to help inform the development or advancement of their CEC monitoring and risk management programs.

Download the group’s summary of insights: Managing Risks from Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Wastewater