Overview
Coal Harbour Waste Water Treatment Plant in British Columbia, Canada, serves 392 people with secondary treatment.
Coal Harbour Waste Water Treatment Plant is a municipal facility located in Area B (Quatsino Sound/Cape Scott) within the Regional District of Mount Waddington, British Columbia, Canada. It serves a small population of 392 residents, reflecting its role in a remote coastal community. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under Canadian federal and provincial regulations for wastewater facilities discharging into sensitive environments. Secondary treatment typically involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. The treated effluent is discharged into the local marine environment near Quatsino Sound, a fjord on Vancouver Island's northwest coast. The receiving waters ultimately flow into the Pacific Ocean, supporting diverse marine life including salmon, herring, and other species important to local ecosystems and Indigenous communities.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into Quatsino Sound, a deep fjord on Vancouver Island's northwest coast, which connects to Queen Charlotte Sound and the Pacific Ocean. This coastal watershed supports critical marine habitats, including eelgrass beds and kelp forests that provide nursery grounds for fish and invertebrates. The area is ecologically sensitive due to its role in sustaining wild salmon populations and marine biodiversity.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located on Harbour Road in Coal Harbour, within Area B (Quatsino Sound/Cape Scott) of the Regional District of Mount Waddington, British Columbia, Canada.
The plant serves a small community of 392 residents, typical of remote coastal settlements in British Columbia.
The plant provides secondary treatment and discharges treated effluent into the marine environment near Quatsino Sound, which flows into Queen Charlotte Sound and the Pacific Ocean.
As a Canadian facility, the plant operates under provincial regulations from British Columbia's Ministry of Environment and federal guidelines under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the Fisheries Act, which protect fish habitat.
For small coastal communities like Coal Harbour, secondary treatment is standard to reduce organic pollutants and suspended solids before marine discharge, in line with Canada's Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.
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