Informing Canadians on Water Pollution
Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory
- The Importance of Clean Water for Canadians
- Sources of Water Pollution
- Tracking Water Pollution in Canada
- Water Pollution from Industrial & Commercial Facilities
- Action on Clean Water
- What is Pollutant Release Information Being Used for?
- What do I Need to Know Before Using the NPRI Information?
- Where Can I Go for More Information?
- Contact Us
The Importance of Clean Water for Canadians
Our health and the health of our natural environment depend on clean water to support all forms of life. Drinking water is essential to human life, and an abundant supply of clean water is needed to support our economic competitiveness and prosperity.
Although Canada has a significant amount of fresh water, this water is not always available where needed. With 85 per cent of the population living along the southern border with the United States and most of the country's fresh water draining to the north, parts of Canada can experience water shortages. The overall state of Canada’s water quality is relatively high, but is increasingly being threatened by contaminants from waste systems near populated areas and industrial development.
Water quality is vulnerable to physical, chemical and biological threats. Physical threats include floating debris and foam, while pathogens and parasites are examples of biological contaminants. Threats from chemicals may come from sources such as pollutant releases, pesticide use and waste disposal. The largest point source of pollution to surface waters are municipal wastewater systems, however, other major sources include residential and industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, and seepage from contaminated groundwater.
Air pollution and land pollution also affect water quality. For instance, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the air eventually come to earth as acid rain affecting water bodies and the soil. As well, pollutants can seep through soil and affect groundwater, and runoff from the land can wash pollutants into lakes, rivers and streams.
What is the "NPRI"? The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) collects information about pollutant releases to water (as well as air and land) and makes it available to the public. The information is based on reports from housands of industrial and commercial facilities that meet certain criteria (such as the number of employees or the manufactured amount of a substance of concern). The reports are required under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) and include more than 300 substances that are released (including through spills), disposed of and recycled (off-site). Other sources of pollution, such as individuals, households, transportation and natural phenomena (such as forest fires) are not reflected in the NPRI. |
Tracking Water Pollution in Canada
Continuous water quality monitoring provides quantitative information on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. In Canada, water quality monitoring is a responsibility shared by federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments. Non-governmental organizations, community groups, businesses and individual citizens also contribute to this effort. The results from these monitoring programs are used with the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines and other interpretive tools to determine whether or not the water is suitable for drinking, swimming, fishing, aquatic life, irrigation or industrial or other uses. It is also used to assess the health of our ecosystems, develop water quality indicators and report on the state of our environment.
Water Pollution from Industrial & Commercial Facilities
Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) tracks pollutant releases to water—including releases to specific water bodies—from industrial and commercial facilities that meet certain reporting requirements. The largest sources of these pollutant releases to water are municipal wastewater systems, pulp and paper plants and certain types of oil and gas operations.
Facilities in Canada that report to the NPRI released over 110 000 tonnes of pollutants to water bodies in Canada in 2004. The location of these facilities (nearly 500) is shown in the map in Figure 1. Most of the releases (more than 98 000 tonnes) were reported by municipal wastewater systems. The NPRI reporting requirements for these facilities changed in 2002, increasing the number that reported between 2001 and 2004, from 41 to 168.
Figure 1. Location of Facilities Reported Releases to Water in 2004
| Did you know?... You can use the NPRI Web Maps on the Communities Portal to get pollutant reports for facilities in you community? Go to our website at www.ec.gc.ca/npri/communities for more information. |
Nitrate ion and ammonia were the pollutants released in the largest quantities to water in 2004, mostly from municipal wastewater systems. Processes installed at some wastewater treatment facilities convert ammonia into nitrate ion which is a less harmful pollutant. Ammonia is a natural product of the decomposition of materials coming from residential, commercial, and industrial activity. Ammonia releases to water from 118 municipal wastewater systems that reported consistently to the NPRI in 2002, 2003 and 2004 went up about 13 per cent or 4,271 tonnes (Graph 1). Environment Canada and Health Canada considerammonia dissolved in water to be a toxic substance as defined by CEPA 1999 because under certain water conditions, ammonia can be harmful or lethal to fish and other aquatic animals.
Graph 1. Ammonia Releases Reported to the NPRI from Consistently Reporting Municipal Wastewater Systems (2002-2004)
Municipal wastewater systems handle the large quantities of wastewater produced by residential, commercial and industrial activity. This wastewater can contain potentially harmful pollutants. Municipal wastewater systems may have treatment facilities that will remove some of the pollutants. For example, they may have installed processes that convert ammonia to a less harmful pollutant (nitrate ion) before releasing it to water. |
The longer-term trend shows a decline in pollutant releases to water from facilities other than municipal wastewater systems. TheNPRI water releases data for 42 substances consistently reported by 193 facilities between 1999 and 2004 indicates a decrease of 17 per cent, or 1,398 tonnes (Graph 2). The largest reductions were realized by the pulp, paper and paperboard industry for methanol. This sector also reduced releases of nitrate ion and ammonia. Their progress reflects improvements in pollution prevention and control.
Graph 2. Trend in Pollutant Releases to Water from Long-term Reporters, Except Municipal Wastewater Systems (1999-2004)
Canada is taking action to protect and preserve its fresh water supplies. The federal government is working closely with the provinces, territories and municipalities to address water issues through better management guidelines, water conservation and pollution prevention.
Environment Canada helps protect Canadian waters and aquatic life through the administration of CEPA 1999 and the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act.
Further, the Government of Canada has an achievable, affordable, practical and realistic plan to protect the health of Canadians, and balance environmental sustainability with continued economic prosperity.
What is Pollutant Release Information being used for?
We can make better decisions to help achieve a sustainable environment and a competitive economy by knowing more about the sources, types and quantities of pollution in our communities. The NPRI covers more than 100 sectors of industrial and commercial activity in Canada and is therefore a major starting point for information about pollution in Canada.
The NPRI can be used in a number of ways:
- by governments to identify, track and take action on pollutant releases that affect our natural environment, health and economic competitiveness;.
- by businesses and financial markets to identify potential business opportunities (e.g. new technologies) and investment risks; to measure the relative impacts of specific industries, companies and facilities on the environment; and to report on environmental performance to consumers and investors; and
- by interested citizens and groups who want to answer questions and influence the environmental performance of companies and governments on the pollution in their communities.
What do I need to know before using the NPRI information?
The NPRI provides a great deal of data and information, so it is a good idea to know the following:
- Not all pollutants are equally hazardous. Whether or not a pollutant release poses a risk to humans or to the environment depends on many factors, including: whether the pollutant is released to air, land or water; if and how much it is broken down in the environment; the resulting amount and type of exposure for people and other organisms; and the pollutant’s ability to cause harm to human health and the environment. Environment Canada and Health Canada continue to assess the health and environmental risks of new and existing substances.
- The NPRI only includes facilities that meet reporting requirements.Other sources of pollution, such as individuals, households, other industrial or commercial sectors, natural phenomena (such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires), are not included in the NPRI. Some pollution is also generated from other countries. This is known as transboundary pollution, and it is a key source of smog-forming pollutants and other air pollution in some areas of Canada.
- Some substances of concern are not reported to the NPRI. For example, the Government of Canada regulates pesticides and tracks emissions of greenhouse gases in Canada through other programs.
- From year to year, facilities may report different amounts of pollutants that they release, dispose of or recycle. This can occur for a number of reasons, ranging from new reporting requirements to changing production levels at a facility. It may also be updated from time to time as new or more up-to-date information is received and reviewed.
Where Can I Go For More Information?
Visit the Communities Portal Web site at www.ec.gc.ca/npri/communities for easy access to pollution information.
The NPRI Communities Portal Web site has search tools that let you search for facility pollutant reports by community name, postal code, type of pollutant, health and environmental issues or a company name. The online maps show where facilities are located, and there are tips and ideas on how to take action in your community. There is also information about how pollution affects our health and the environment, what industry and governments are doing, and special features on current issues.
Visit Environment Canada’s Freshwater Website at www.ec.gc.ca/water to learn more about water in Canada.
The Freshwater Website was designed to provide Canadians with a knowledge and understanding of the nature and extent of freshwater in Canada. On the site you can find information on water pollution, water quality, environmental quality guidelines, and indicators; what different levels of government are doing to protect freshwater; and what you can do to protect Canada’s freshwater. The online freshwater maps allow you to learn about freshwater in your community.
Do you have questions about this report or need more information about its contents? If so, please contact us:
E-mail: npricomm@ec.gc.ca
Tel.: 1 800 668-6767
Fax: 819-994-1412
Web site: www.ec.gc.ca/npri/communities
