The Great Lakes sewage report card /

It examines the current state ecosystem-based survey and analy- of sewage management in the Great sis of municipal sewage treatment Lakes, including any changes and and sewage discharges into the Great improvements made in the past seven Lakes Basin. [...] The legislative author- produce, there are a number of ways ity for the Ontario Ministry of the in which the volume of liquid waste Environment (MOE) continues to come (grey water) coming from our sinks, from the Environmental Protection Act showers and washing machines could and the Ontario Water Resources Act. [...] It recognizes the ecological importance and human dependence on the Great Lakes, and seeks to reduce the amount of munici- pal sewage and stormwater pollution entering the Great Lakes via CSOs and stormwater runo!.23 It is also intended to improve sewage treatment standards from urban sources through the opti- and upgrade treatment methods. [...] The changes The Ontario Water Resources Act include a replacement of the require- (OWRA) is the most important piece ment to obtain a certificate of approval of legislation concerning the conser- for sewage works with a requirement vation, protection and management to obtain an “environmental com- of Ontario’s groundwater and surface pliance approval,” which requires a water.30 It regulates both s [...] Challenges to pro- that exceeds the federal regulation, viding adequate levels of wastewater which is minimal and only regulates a treatment in the Great Lakes include ag- [32] ing facilities and population growth that tions, and called on Ottawa to cre- stresses the capabilities of existing plants ate a national funding program to and creates the need for more facilities.42 pay for the wastewater