Environmental Monitoring & Protection
Environmental Monitoring & Protection (EM&P) enforces Toronto’s Sewers Bylaw (Municipal Code, Chapter 681) via three subgroups:
Industrial Waste Control monitors the discharges of industrial, commercial and institutional businesses. Bylaw officers ensure compliance via sampling and inspections and also respond to spills plus complaints of illegal discharges, 24/7.
Toronto is one of the first municipalities in Canada to incorporate Pollution Prevention (P2) Planning requirements into its bylaw. The Pollution Prevention group administers P2 plans, and helps industries identify ways of reducing and/or eliminating pollutants and wastes at source, and comply with the bylaw.
Stormwater Quality strives to protect the quality of surface waters (rivers, creeks, ponds and Lake Ontario) by monitoring storm sewer outfalls for contaminates and investigating sources of pollution. In conjunction with Transportation, staff monitor waterways for chlorides owing to road salt run-off.