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"Point in Time" Regulation Content

Environmental Management Act

Municipal Wastewater Regulation

B.C. Reg. 87/2012

NOTE: Links below go to regulation content as it was prior to the changes made on the effective date. (PIT covers changes made from September 19, 2009 to "current to" date of the regulation.)
SECTIONEFFECTIVE DATE
Section 1 February 29, 2016
April 1, 2018
March 30, 2022
March 6, 2024
October 27, 2025
Section 8 March 30, 2022
Section 10 April 1, 2018
Section 13 March 6, 2024
Section 29 March 6, 2024
Section 31 March 6, 2024
Section 46 March 6, 2024
Section 56 March 6, 2024
Section 57 August 1, 2024
Section 58 March 6, 2024
Section 61 April 1, 2018
Section 75 March 6, 2024
Section 86 March 6, 2024
October 27, 2025
Section 87 October 27, 2025
Section 89 March 6, 2024
Section 94 March 6, 2024
Section 103 March 6, 2024
October 27, 2025
Section 108 March 6, 2024
Section 118 March 6, 2024

 Section 1 definition of "water well", paragraph (b) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 41/2016, effective February 29, 2016.

(b) "well" has the same meaning as in the Water Act.

 Section 1 definition of "Permit Fees Regulation" BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 46/2018, effective April 1, 2018.

"Permit Fees Regulation" means the Permit Fees Regulation, BC Reg 299/92;

 Section 1 definition of "qualified professional" BEFORE amended by BC Reg 76/2022, effective March 30, 2022.

"qualified professional" means an applied scientist or technologist specializing in a particular applied science or technology, including agrology, biology, chemistry, engineering, geology or hydrogeology,

(a) who is registered in British Columbia with the professional organization responsible for his or her area of expertise, acting under that professional association's code of ethics and subject to disciplinary action by that association, and

(b) who, through suitable education, experience, accreditation and knowledge, may be reasonably relied on to provide advice within his or her area of expertise as it relates to this regulation;

 Section 1 definition of "advanced treatment", paragraph (a) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(a) produces a municipal effluent quality with BOD5 and TSS being 10 mg/L or less each, and

 Section 1 definition of "BOD5" BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

"BOD5" means the carbonaceous 5-day biochemical oxygen demand;

 Section 1 definitions of "CBOD5" and "CFU" were added by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

 Section 1 definition of "primary treatment" BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

"primary treatment" means any form of treatment, other than dilution, that produces a municipal effluent quality with BOD5 and TSS being not more than 130 mg/L each;

 Section 1 definition of "secondary treatment", paragraphs (a) and (b) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(a) in the case of a lagoon system, BOD5 being not more than 45 mg/L and TSS being not more than 60 mg/L, and

(b) in any other case, BOD5 and TSS being not more than 45 mg/L each;

 Section 1 definition of "qualified professional", paragraphs (a) and (b) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 171/2025, effective October 27, 2025.

(a) who is registered in British Columbia with the professional organization responsible for the applied scientist's or techonologist's area of expertise, acting under that professional association's code of ethics and subject to disciplinary action by that association, and

(b) who, through suitable education, experience, accreditation and knowledge, may be reasonably relied on to provide advice within the applied scientist's or techonologist's area of expertise as it relates to this regulation;

 Section 8 (1) (part) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 76/2022, effective March 30, 2022.

(1) A director may, on receipt of an application or on his or her own initiative, substitute a different requirement for a requirement contained in this regulation if

 Section 10 (2) (c) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 46/2018, effective April 1, 2018.

(c) payment in accordance with section 2 of the Permit Fees Regulation;

 Section 13 (b) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(b) a copy of design drawings for the wastewater facility, including the discharge works, signed and stamped by a qualified professional;

 Section 29 (b) (ii) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(ii) is adjusted annually to match inflation based on the Industrial Product Price Index in respect of capital equipment, produced by Statistics Canada, with the year the wastewater facility was registered as the base year, and

 Section 31 (1) (b) (part) and (c) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(b) at the person's expense, ensure that an expert consultant selected from the roster established under subsection (2) has

(c) attach to the assurance plan the findings of the consultant who reviewed the plan.

 Section 31 (2) BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(2) A director may establish a roster of expert consultants to assist in reviewing assurance plans.

 Section 31 (3) (part) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(3) A person must not select a consultant who has

 Section 46 (a) (ii) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(ii) a copy of final design drawings reflecting the actual construction of the wastewater facility, certified as correct and sealed by a qualified professional;

 Section 56 (2) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(2) For the purposes of sections 86 [monitoring requirements for discharges to ground] and 103 [monitoring requirements for discharges to water], chemical oxygen demand may be used in place of BOD5 if BOD5 is examined with chemical oxygen demand every fifth sampling.

 Section 57 (4) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 178/2023, effective August 1, 2024.

(4) A discharger must submit laboratory analyses required by this regulation in accordance with the Environmental Data Quality Assurance Regulation, B.C. Reg. 301/90.

 Section 58 (2) (a) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(a) the discharge quality does not exceed a maximum BOD5 and TSS of 10 mg/L each;

 Section 61 (a) and (b) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 46/2018, effective April 1, 2018.

(a) on giving notice under section 16 (1) [changes to registration], an application fee in accordance with section 2 of the Permit Fees Regulation;

(b) on each anniversary of the date on which registration is effective under section 10 (2) [registration], an annual fee in accordance with section 3 of the Permit Fees Regulation, based on the quality and quantity of the discharge as indicated under section 12 (b) [technical information] of this regulation.

 Section 75, Table 3, item 1 BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

BOD5 (mg/L)101045

 Section 86, Table 6, items BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

BOD5, TSS frequency and typemonthly grab samplesmonthly grab samplesquarterly grab samples
nitrogen total, and NO3 (as N frequency and type)monthly grab samplesnonenone

 Section 86, Table 7, items BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

BOD5, TSS frequency and typetwice / month grab samplestwice / month grab samplesmonthly grab samples
nitrogen total, and NO3 (as N frequency and type)twice / month grab samplesnonenone

 Section 86, Table 8, items BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

BOD5, TSS frequency and typeweekly composite samplesweekly composite samplestwice / month composite samples
nitrogen total, and NO3 (as N frequency and type)weekly composite samplesnonenone

 Section 86, Table 6, item BEFORE amended by BC Reg 171/2025, effective October 27, 2025.

nitrogen total, and nitrate (as N frequency and type)monthly grab samplesnonenone

 Section 86, Table 7, item BEFORE amended by BC Reg 171/2025, effective October 27, 2025.

nitrogen total, and nitrate (as N frequency and type)twice / month grab samplesnonenone

 Section 86, Table 8, item BEFORE amended by BC Reg 171/2025, effective October 27, 2025.

nitrogen total, and nitrate (as N frequency and type)weekly composite samplesnonenone

 Section 87 (3) (part) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 171/2025, effective October 27, 2025.

(3) A discharger must submit gathered data under this section to a director, if the maximum daily flow is

 Section 89 (2) definition of "mean low water", paragraph (c) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(c) for streams and rivers, the point of contact between the stream or river surface and the shore during the 2-year return period 7-day flow.

 Section 94, Table 9, item 1 BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

all flows: BOD5 & TSS (mg/L)≤ 45≤ 10≤ 45n/an/a

 Section 94, Table 10, item BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

all flows: BOD5 & TSS (mg/L)≤ 45≤ 10≤ 45≤ 130≤ 45

 Section 94, Table 11, item BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

daily flows
< 2x ADWF: BOD5 & TSS (mg/L)
≤ 45≤ 10≤ 45≤ 45≤ 45
daily flows
≥ 2x ADWF: interim BOD5 & TSS (mg/L)
≤ 130≤ 10≤ 130≤ 130≤ 130

 Section 103 (2) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

(2) In respect of discharging to open marine waters that have a maximum daily flow of less than 10 m3/d, monitoring of BOD5, TSS and fecal coliforms is not required.

 Section 103, Table 12 items BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

BOD5, TSS frequency and typequarterly grab samplesquarterly grab samplesmonthly grab samplesweekly grab samplestwice / week composite samples5 times / week composite samples
NH4-N, PO4-P, total phosphorus frequency and type (freshwater)n/aquarterly grab samples6 times / year grab samplesmonthly grab samplestwice / month composite samplesweekly composite samples
NH4-N, PO4-P, total phosphorus frequency and type (marine)n/an/aquarterly grab samples6 times / year grab samplesmonthly composite samplestwice / month composite samples

 Section 103, Table 12, item BEFORE amended by BC Reg 171/2025, effective October 27, 2025.

ammonia frequency and type (freshwater)n/an/aquarterly grab samples6 times / year grab samplesmonthly composite samplestwice / month composite samples

 Section 108, Table 13, items BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

BOD5, TSSBOD5 5 mg/L
TSS < 5 mg/L
10 mg/L25 mg/L45 mg/L
fecal coliform (/100 mL)median < 1 CFU
or < 2.2 MPN
median < 1 CFU
or < 2.2 MPN;
maximum 14 CFU
median 100 CFU;
maximum 400 CFU
median 200 CFU;
maximum 1 000 CFU

 Section 118, Table 14, item BEFORE amended by BC Reg 50/2024, effective March 6, 2024.

BOD5, TSS, flow volumeweeklyweeklyweeklyweekly