Pollution Prevention

Since 1994 the City has been working with local businesses to protect City utilities and natural resources by reducing point-source pollution. Pollution prevention programs include:

Mercury Reduction: to reduce the amount of mercury dentists put down the drain into Kelowna’s sanitary sewer.

Shopsweeps: automotive repair facilities were targeted for specialized training in waste production and handling, inventory storage, spill prevention, and interceptor and solvent sink cleaning.

Grease Trap Education: to reduced the amount of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) produced in local restaurants. (FOG can cause expensive blockages in the City’s sewer system.)

Storage Tank Survey: 60 local service stations were questioned on the location, condition, and leak-testing procedures for their underground fuel storage tanks. The City used this information to formulate a Petroleum Products Storage Tank Bylaw (1998).