section4-02b

Townsite Management

Provide Responsible Environmental Stewardship and Heritage Conservation

Water Quality Targets and Average Sewage Effluent Quality

Federal Wastewater Guidelines (www.ec.gc.ca/etad/023194F5-4BED-49AE-BEEB-384A2FD36348/1976_Guidelines_e.pdf) suggest targets for acceptable levels for certain chemicals (phosphorous and ammonia), bacteria counts (fecal coliforms), levels of solids in the effluent, and five-day oxygen levels. As two of these measures have separate standards for summer and winter months, there are a total of seven targets.

Parks Canada has set more rigorous targets in the communities of Banff, Jasper, Field, and Lake Louise. In Waterton, the Wastewater Treatment Plant will require upgrading (2007-2008 to 2009-2010) before these standards can be met. In the meantime, Waterton is expected to meet the federal guidelines. Details of federal and Parks Canada targets as well as yearly average results are shown in Table 28.

As of March 31, 2007, six of seven communities met all the Federal Wastewater Guidelines. Waterton’s phosphorus target will change to <6 once="" upgrades="" are="" completed="" to="" its="" plant="" to="" meet="" new="" irrigation="" standards.="" all="" 4="" communities="" expected="" to="" meet="" the="" parks="" canada="" mountain="" park="" targets="" for="" wastewater="" effluent="" met="" these="" targets="" in="" 2006-2007.="" the="" community="" of="" jasper="" is="" not="" expected="" to="" meet="" the="" phosphorous="" target="" of="" .15="" –="" its="" target="" is="" .50="" based="" on="" the="" use="" of="" an="" exfiltration="" system.="" phosphorous="" readings="" cannot="" exceed="" .50="" prior="" to="" entering="" this="" system.="" in="" 2005-2006,="" only="" 2="" of="" 4="" communities="" met="" the="" parks="" canada="">

Table 28: Details of Measures, Targets and Performance Regarding Sewage Effluent Quality

Federal Guideline Parameter	Federal Guidelines	Parks Canada Mountain Park Targets	2006-2007 Yearly Average Sewage Effluent Quality
			Parks Canada Administered Townsites					Self Governed
			Field	Lake Louise	Waterton	Waskesiu	Wasagaming	Banff	Jasper
Total Phosphorous (mg/l)	1 mg./l	<0.15>	0.12	.14	2.5	.425	.75	.149	.39
Fecal Coliform (CFU/100ml)	400 CFU /100ml	<20 cfu/100ml="" (end="" of="">	Not detected	Not detected	<	130.5	<	<	10
Solids, Total Suspended (mg/l)	25mg/l	<10>	.1	1.2	8	5.5	17	.84	6.3
5 Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) (mg/l)	20BOD5 (mg/l)	< 5 (mg/l) summer)	.53	1.2	8	7	7	<	2.19
		<20>	.75	1.4	N\A	13	N/A	<	3.11
Ammonia (NH3-N)(mg/l)	N/A	<1>	.12	.06	Not reported	1.2	.04	.24	.37
		<5>	.05	.16		4.4	N\A	<	1.15
Sewage Effluent Quantity (cubic metres)			37,743	958,654	110,000	223,870	26,000	3,426,795	1,410,454
Source: Certified provincial lab data for Banff and Jasper; Internal Parks Canada data for other communities. Summer targets refer to May 1 to October 30, winter targets are November 1 to April 30. Wasagaming only releases and tests its effluent once per year, resulting in no winter numbers being available. Banff and Jasper use a geometric mean for measuring fecal coliform while the other two communities use an arithmetic mean. Jasper Municipality adopted the phosphorus target of 0.5 at the point before the exfiltration basin, for the period of 2003-2008, as the wastewater treatment plant technology is being checked.

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