Mandatory Maintenance?

May 1, 2014

All advanced secondary and tertiary Wastewater Treatment Solutions such as BIONEST^® need to be certified by the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ), a recognized standard setting organization, and must undergo periodic maintenance. The Regulation respecting waste water disposal systems for isolated dwellings (Q-2, r. 22) makes it mandatory for the owner.

It is an irritant, but it deserves an explanation.

Regulation dictates the owner be bound at all times by contract with the system manufacturer, his representative or a qualified third person stipulating that minimum annual maintenance will be performed on the system (S. 3.3). When the maintenance is under municipal control, it substitutes itself as the owner and must also be bound by contract with the system manufacturer. This obligation applies to all certified advanced secondary and tertiary treatment systems.

The owner of the system always remains responsible for the system’s performances and regular maintenance ensures its sustainability.

BNQ Certification of Wastewater Treatment Solutions is another requirement of the Q-2, r.22 Regulation; certification is required in order for systems to be sold in Québec. It must be renewed every other year and is upheld under condition that fabrication facilities are subject to an annual audit and that a performance survey is performed on systems installed since the very beginning. Each year, the BNQ randomly selects systems to ensure they meet the strictest environmental requirements. Any company which does not comply with these requirements thus sees its authorization to market its products in Québec withdrawn.

Lastly, Bionest devotes considerable efforts to minimize the irritation caused by the mandatory maintenance, namely by setting a unique pricing structure throughout all of Quebec (except for remote regions) by system type, pricing which is very competitive and less than half that charged in Ontario, as an example.