News
The Bedford Office of NSE Monitoring and Compliance is moving. As of February 22, 2010, the new address will be:
Nova Scotia Environment
Environmental Monitoring and Compliance
30 Damascus Road, Suite 115
Bedford, N.S.
B4A 0C1
--Maxine Manuel, NSE
Nova Scotia Environment have approved increasing the loading rate of Brookfield Concrete's Peat Module units to 250 litres per day. In that background, and subject to 'system design', home owners may now be able to get away with using four modules for up to a three bedroom home (1000L per day) and six modules for a four bedroom home (1500L per day).
For further information on Brookfield's amended approval, contact Earl Morgan at Brookfield Concrete (902)673-2225 or Nova Scotia Environment (902)424-7773.
--wwns
Nova Scotia Environment keeps a listing of persons licensed by them to operate in Nova Scotia. The listings include, among others, Qualified Persons, Septic Installers, Septic Pumpers and Portable Restroom Operators. You may find these listings on the NSE website at www.gov.ns.ca/nse/resources/license.certification.listings.asp.
--wwns
The following are the dates for the QP/Installer 2010 Regional Meetings. Please preregister with WWNS if you plan on attending.
----- Jan 18, Days Inn, Bridgewater, 50 North Street, Exit 12
----- Jan 19, Quality Inn & Suites, HRM, Exit 2 off the 102, Kearney Lake Road
----- Jan 20, Quality Inn & Suites, HRM, Exit 2 off the 102, Kearney Lake Road
----- Feb 02, Delta Sydney Hotel, 300 Esplanade Street, Sydney
----- Feb 03, Maritime Inn, Port Hawkesbury, 717 Reeves Street
----- Feb 04, Green Way Claymore, Antigonish, Exit 33
----- Feb 09, Wandlynn Inn Coldbrook, Exit 14
----- Feb 10, Annapolis Basin Conference Centre, Angel Building, 268 Marine Drive
----- Feb 11, Rodd Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, 417 Main Street
----- Feb 12, Days Inn, Bridgewater, 50 North Street, exit 12
----- Mar 01, Wandlynn Inn, Amherst
----- Mar 02, Best Western Glengarry, Truro, 150 Willow Street
----- Mar 03, Quality Inn & Suites, HRM, Exit 2 off the 102, Kearney Lake Road
----- Mar 04, Quality Inn & Suites, HRM, Exit 2 off the 102, Kearney Lake Road
--wwns
The following are the dates for the Septic Pumper / Portable Restroom 2010 Regional Meetings. Please preregister with WWNS if you plan on attending.
_____ Mar 08 --- Delta Sydney Hotel. 300 Esplanade St, Sydney
_____ Mar 09 --- Best Western Glengarry. 150 Willow Street, Truro
_____ Mar 10 --- Rodd Grand. 417 Main Street, Yarmouth
_____ Mar 11 --- Days Inn. 50 North Street, Exit 12, Bridgewater
_____ Mar 12 --- Quality Inn & Suites. Exit 2 off the 102, Kearney Lake Rd, Halifax
--
Gary Cameron is the new contact person for WWNS.I can be reached by phone at (902)246-2131, fax at (902)246-2130 or email at wwns@eastlink.ca.The new mailing address is Waste Water Nova Scotia, Box 4, RR#4, New Glasgow, N.S., B2H 5C7.
--wwns
The newest version of "On Site Sewage Disposal Systems - Technical Guidelines" has been converted to hard copy and is now available at regional offices of Nova Scotia Enviroment. The cost is $10.00
--NSE
Starting April 1, 2009, all new applicants seeking training for professional certification (Installer, QP11, Flusher, Pumper, etc) must first contact NSE for the application package.
For more information or to request an application package, contact:
Amy Russell @ (902) 424-8130
After their applications are reviewed, NSE will contact new applicants and advise them how to proceed.
--NSE
The Nova Scotia Department of Environment agrees to expanded use of the sloping sand filter type on-site sewage disposal system as a standard system design for development of lots created after 1984.
The sloping sand filter must be designed for a linear loading rate no greater than 85 litres per meter on lots created after 1984. The mantle must be designed based on the permeability of the natural soils and the basal area required for the system effluent to be discharged to the subsurface.
The Department has amended the on-site sewage disposal systems technical guidelines to reflect this change.
--NSE
It has been brought to our attention that, should you be considering designing/selecting an on-site sewage system which will be encroaching on a NS Power easement, you must seek the approval of NS Power before proceeding.
As we understand it, when NS Power allows an on-site system to be constructed on their easement, there is a $1000.00 +HST administration fee for them to visit the site and register documents on the property deed.
For more information contact:
Jim Sandall
NS Power
Bedford Office
902-869-5367
--NS Power
As of March 27, 2009 Infiltrator Quick 4 Chambers have been approved for use in the selection or design of on-site sewage systems in NS. Should you wish to use the Infiltrator Chambers you will have to refer to Infiltrator's "Selection and Installation Manual" when processing your on-site sewage application.
For additional information on the Infiltrator Chambers, we suggest you contact your local NSE office, or Don Krauss of Infiltrator Systems at 888-275-1238 (toll free) or 705-845-1443 (cell).
Picture: Septic tank and Infiltrator Quick 4 Chambers on a trailer for transport.
--NSE
As of April 1 2009 the on-site sewage application fee has gone up to $59.68.
--NSE
Nova Scotia Environment has issued pilot approvals for three new sewage treatment systems:
1) SoilAir System
2) MicroFast Sewage Treatment System
3) RetroFast Sewage Treatment System
Each system is considered a pretreatment unit for existing on-site sewage disposal systems with disposal fields and has to be designed by a QPI.
Should you become involved in the design or construction of one of these systems and require additional information, it is suggested that you contact your local Environment office, or Steve Westhaver,P.Eng. at (902)424-8183.
If you wish to have copies of these pilot approvals, contact WWNS and they will be faxed or mailed to you.
--NSE
Premier Tech Environment and The Shaw Group are pleased to announce that the Ecoflo treatment system is approved for use in Nova Scotia.
The Ecoflo is a peat module system for domestic wastewater treatment for residential and community applications. The Ecoflo system has a proven history and to date there are in excess of 40,000 installations in Canada and the United States. The Ecoflo is a lightweight module that occupies a small footprint on the property, and in most cases, only one module is required. The Ecoflo system is stocked at the GS Concrete facility in Windsor, Nova Scotia.
For more information on the Ecoflo system, please visit the Premier Tech Environment website at www.ptenv.com or the GS Concrete website at www.gsconcrete.ca.
You may also contact the GS Concrete office at 1-800-565-7000 or Alden Faulkner at 1-902-790-0623.
--Alden Faulkner, GS Concrete
A new Micro-Modular Peat Filter System, designed and produced by Brookfield concrete Products Ltd., has received approval by NS Environment for use in Nova Scotia as an on-site sewage disposal system. The new “lightweight” peat filters were subjected to an extensive testing program administered for Brookfield Concrete Products Ltd. by the Centre for Water Resources Studies and the Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science at Dalhousie University.
It is also presumed to have been the first study in the province in which the treatment efficiency of a peat filter exposed to different loading rates was assessed. The testing and monitoring project was carried out at the Nova Scotia On-Site Wastewater Research, Evaluation, and Training Facility, located at the Bio-Environmental Engineering Centre (BEEC) in Bible Hill, NS.
For information on this new, innovative system, you can contact Brookfield Concrete Products Ltd. at 1-866-705-2225 (toll free), or 902-673-2225.
--Earl Morgan, Brookfield Concrete Products Ltd.
It is pertinent this year that each installer has proof of one million dollars liability insurance before their license can be renewed. Remember you need contractor’s liability as opposed to equipment liability to meet the requirements. If you have any concerns, please contact Phil at 843-1902 or your local NSE office. (See "Requirement of On-site Sewage Installers, Septic Pumpers, Portable Washrooms Operators, Septic Bed Cleaners to Carry Contractors' General Liabilty Insurance(CGL)" article for futher information.)
--NSE
As you are all aware, the Professional Developement Program has completed its first cycle. Each septic installer, septic tank cleaner, portable restroom operator or QP11 must have 100 points over a four year period in order to be recertified without redoing your training. If you do not have 100 points after the 4 year period, you will be required to take training the following year before your license can be renewed.
The PDP program has been very well received. This past winter at the Regional Meetings held across the Province, 521 of the persons who attended were collecting points. If you have any comments or concerns about the PDP please contact Phil at 843-1902.
--CAROL
Notice QP1's & QP11's: As of last week, the Department of Environment & Labor have launched a new civic address verification system. When they receive an application and the information from Section 3 of the application form is entered into their information system, the civic address is verified. If the system determines that the address is "not valid", the application is considered "incomplete." At that point an "incomplete" letter is sent out to the applicant/contact person to verify the site information in accordance with the Nova Scotia Geomatics Centre, Civic Address Viewer (Property On-Line).
Until such information is supplied in writing, the application will not be processed. To help prevent any delays with submitted applications, please ensure addresses in Section 3 of the application forms are in accordance with what is recorded by Property On-Line.
Note: The most common error is an incorrect community name for a given PID, so please check for validity.
Should you require further clarification with respect to the foregoing, contact your local Dept. of Environment Office.
--Phil Cameron, Chair WWNS
Requirement of On-Site Sewage Installers, Septic Pumpers, Portable Washroom Operators, Septic Bed Cleaners to Carry Contractors' General Liability Insurance (CGL).
The Dept. of Environment requires the above groups to carry CGL Insurance and/or to be covered by the company for which they work.
It was originally intended that any employee working for a company had to be listed on their employer's insurance policy before they would be offered a certification.
This has created a problem as the insurance companies are telling the employers, "If your employee moonlights using their certification, i.e. pumps septic tanks, installs septic beds, etc., technically they are covered under the employer's CGL policy. Or, worse still, if your employee left your employ, went to another company and you did not remove him/her from your insurance policy, then they could still install septic systems, pump septic tanks, etc, as they are still insured under your policy."
As all CGL insurance policies cover employees "for acts within the scope of their employment", the Dept. of Environment will now accept applications for certification from individuals provided they provide a copy of the company's CGL policy, and a letter from a company official confirming the person applying for certification works for that company.
CONCLUSION:
While the Dept. of Environment will still accept applications for certification with an employee listed on the employer's insurance policy, I do not recommend you follow this practice as it puts your company at risk.
I recommend you provide a copy of the company CGL policy, with an attached list of employees covered. In this way, the employee has insurance coverage only while working for you. Any work they do outside the scope of your employment is at their own risk.
Any questions, give us a call.
--Phil Cameron - Chair of WWNS
Background: The Regional Plan includes new requirements for watercourse buffers relative to adjacent developement. The minimum buffer width is 20 meters. Where average slopes within the buffer exceed 20%, it is widened by 1 additional metre for every 2% increase in slope to a maximum width of 60 metres. Retaining riparian buffers around watercourses and along the coastline is important for the protection of water quality, and the wildlife protection of property from natural hazards of flooding. To maximize the protection benefits of riparian buffers, trees, shrubs, ground cover vegetation and soils must be protected. To that end, excavation, infilling, tree, stump and other vegetation removal or alteration within the buffer is prohibited.
Grandfathering Principle: To provide for the reasonable developement of "existing" lots that were designed to meet requirements in effect prior to the enactment of the water course buffer provisions.Further, where substantial design work and costs have been incurred in laying out on-site sewage disposal systems for existing lots, it is not the intention of HRM to disregard this work and request a re-design for the sole purpose of accommodating the watercourse buffer.
Existing Lots: The watercourse buffer requirements may be relaxed for existing lots. Where as more information is avaiable on this topic, it can be obtained from the following people:
1) Western Region, Andrew Faulkner @ 490-4402 or Rosemary MacNeil @ 490-4650: Central Region, Trevor Creaser @ 869-4235 or Kevin Warner @ 869-4389: Eastern Region, Sean Audas @ 490-4341 or Cathy Spencer @ 490-4416 and the Regional Planning Office, Kelly Denty @ 490-6011
--Halifax Regional Municipality
The Honourable Mark Parent, Minister of Environment & Labour announced that Nova Scotians who rely on wells and septic systems will benifit from a free environmental home assessment. Under this program, homeowners will be provided with a septic system assessment, a water quality sampling kit and water-saving devices. Also samples of environmentally-friendly septic cleaners will be distrubuted as well as information on how to properly maintain oil tanks.
Once the assessment is complete, participants who wish to have their home septic system pumped will receive a rebate of $50.00 to be used by the end of the fiscal year. Depending on financial need and the state of the septic system, lower income households may be eligible for a grant of up to $3000.00 that will help cover the cost of necessary repairs. If you wish a home assessment to be completed please contact Clean Annapolis River Project (Western Region) 532-7533; Clean Nova Scotia (Central & Northern regions) 1-800-665-5377; and Atlantic Coastal Action Program (Eastern Region) 567-1628.For the industry people, more information will be forthcoming so that you will be better informed to answer inquiries from home owners concerning method of payment, etc. Please check this web in the coming weeks as more information will be posted as received.
--Waste Water Nova Scotia/NSE
Based on the review of the CWRS assessment and other scientific and technical documents,the use of air cooled blast furnace slag is now approved for use in Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems as an alternate filter material that complies with the intent of the Nova Scotia On-Site Sewage Technical Guidelines and Regulations. The following recommendations will need to be adhered to and included in any approval should slag be used as a replacement to sand.
1) Sysco will provide information regarding the long term permeability of the material, as cementious hydration can occur in the slag.
2) Slag is not recommended for use in sloping sand filters that discharge directly to fresh water.
3) Slag and leachates shall be tested periodically to assure that CCME criteria are not being exceeded. Biannual testing will be completed during the first two years of operation. Thereafter, the material will be tested yearly unless otherwise requested by the Department.
4) Slag will not be used in areas of concern for nitrate loading.
-- Robert Anderson NSE
