Wastewater management: Baie-des-Chaleurs in the MELCC’s blind spot

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montreal, June 1, 2022 – Fondation Rivières and the South Gaspé Water Council (CEGS) make public a study which reveals the need for the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC) to devote more means and resources to municipalities in the south of the Gaspé Peninsula in the management of wastewater in order to preserve the integrity of salmon rivers, breathe new life into shellfish harvesting and guarantee recreational and tourism uses in the region.

No requirement for phosphorus discharges

The study of the performance of wastewater treatment plants reveals that no form of phosphorus removal or measurement of phosphorus concentrations in the effluent is required for three stations discharging their treated water into salmon rivers – Bonaventure, Grand Pabos Ouest and Petite Cascapedia – which are sensitive to nutrient inputs and algae development. “We set up a phosphate removal system, even if we were not obliged to do so. We want to do better, but for that, we need the support of the Ministry of the Environment, which must assume its role as regulator,” explains Roch Audet, mayor of Bonaventure.

Wastewater still untreated

Two municipalities still discharge their wastewater without treatment directly into Chaleur Bay, removing only solid waste using a screen. These are among the 81 municipalities in Quebec which still do not carry out wastewater treatment, despite themselves, for lack of adequate government support, while the Regulation respecting municipal wastewater treatment works (ROMAEU) has been requiring it for over a year (December 31, 2020).

Overflows harmful to shellfish harvesting

En plus du risque qu’ils posent pour la baignade et la pratique d’activités nautiques, les débordements fréquents d’eaux usées non traitées représentent une source de contamination qui peut s’avérer considérable pour les populations de mollusques bivalves situées le long du littoral de la baie des Chaleurs. Résultat : plusieurs secteurs de récolte sont fermés en raison du risque pour la santé publique, privant les résident.e.s de la péninsule de pratiquer cette activité traditionnelle.

Where is the Ministry of the Environment?

If an intervention by Fisheries and Oceans Canada is necessary to reopen the cockle fishing sectors, a significant reduction in the frequency of overflows and more sustainable management of stormwater at the municipal level are just as essential to do so. arrive. However, municipalities in the south of the Gaspé Peninsula deplore the lack of logistical, scientific and financial resources to comply with the requirements of the MELCC, whose support is long overdue.

Alerted by the Foundation about the worrying concentrations of phosphorus released into salmon rivers, the MELCC says it expects a period of four to five years before implementing measures to reduce inputs to the stations concerned. However, the MELCC has considered them as sensitive receiving environments for almost 15 years. An acceleration is necessary, at a time when algae proliferation is now observed every year in the estuaries of the Bonaventure and Petite Cascapedia rivers.

For municipalities equipped with a simple screen, administrative delays sometimes combined with a disagreement between the MELCC and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) on the design of new wastewater treatment plants delay their construction. Better consultation between these bodies is essential to move forward on such issues.

« Ce projet n’aurait pas pu voir le jour sans la collaboration étroite des municipalités concernées. Grâce à leurs efforts, nous croyons fermement que des avancées en matière de protection des milieux hydriques seront générées. De plus, le projet aura permis de renforcer l’expertise locale quant à la gestion des eaux usées. » évoque la directrice générale du CEGS, Julie Leblanc. « Ces problèmes sont connus dans la région depuis longtemps. Il est temps que le MELCC mette en priorité ces enjeux : c’est l’avenir de l’offre touristique régionale qui est compromis, en plus des écosystèmes aquatiques », déclare quant à lui le directeur général de Fondation Rivières, André Bélanger. Cette étude a clairement mis en lumière le manque d’ambition du gouvernement du Québec dans sa gestion des eaux usées et la protection des cours d’eau.

About the study

Fondation Rivières was mandated by the South Gaspésie Water Council (CEGS) to produce a performance study of municipal sanitation systems and diagnosis of pollution sources, following the observation of the development of green algae in estuaries of the Bonaventure and Petite Cascapedia rivers in recent years. The study, conducted in 2021, covers the CEGS territory over the period 2017 to 2020. The analysis concerns 14 municipal sanitation stations and 91 overflow structures distributed in 11 municipalities: Bonaventure, Caplan, Carleton-sur-Mer , Chandler, Grande-Rivière, Hope, Maria, New Richmond, Percé, Port-Daniel-Gascons and Saint-Siméon.

About Fondation Rivières

For 20 years, Fondation Rivières has worked to preserve, restore and enhance the natural character of rivers and contributes to ensuring water quality and access to water for the Quebec population. The Foundation analyzed the performance of municipal sanitation systems in more than 200 municipalities in Quebec in collaboration with six watershed organizations.

À propos du CEGS

The South Gaspésie Water Council (CEGS) is a watershed organization mandated by the Government of Quebec to promote and support the protection and development of water and its uses. The CEGS intervention territory covers the southern part of Gaspésie, i.e. 47 main watersheds, from the Nouvelle River to the Malbaie River.

-30-