Both the Federal and Provincial governments require the monitoring of “process effluents” as they are discharged to the receiving water (such as into the Kaministiquia River at our Thunder Bay mill).
To monitor our discharge, we pump a continuous stream of effluent up from the effluent discharge sewer into a sample box located in our effluent monitoring building. In this box the temperature, pH (acidity-alkalinity) and electrical conductivity of the effluent are measured continuously. A sample line to a refrigerated continuous sampler draws a sample into a container that is analyzed each day for the organic content of the effluent (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS).
Samples are also collected on a weekly basis to test the toxicity of the effluent to Daphnia Magna (a water flea) and on a monthly basis for toxicity to Rainbow Trout. Other parameters as required in the regulation are also tested for on a regular basis.
| |
Government Limit (2024) |
How have we been doing |
| BOD |
13.3 tonnes/day daily limit |
Avg. 0.77 tonnes/day (2023) |
| Total Suspended Solids |
23.2 tonnes/day daily limit |
Avg. 1.83 tonnes/day (2023) |
| AOX – Absorbable Organic Halides |
0.895 kg/ADT |
Avg. 0.28 kg/ADT (2023) |
| Toxicity |
LC50=100 |
>100 (2023) |
| Total Phosphorus |
482 kg/day |
Avg. 89 kg/day (2023) |
| Chloroform |
6.42 kg/day |
Avg. 0.14 kg/day (2023) |
| Phenol |
0.705 kg/day |
Avg. 0.019 kg/day (2023) |
| Dioxins |
20 parts per quadrillion |
Non-detectable |
| Furans |
50 parts per quadrillion |
Non-detectable |