Comminutor Outfall Wastewater Treatment Plant, Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador

Comminutor Outfall is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located on Canaille Road in Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The facility serves a population of approximately 891 residents, making it a small-scale treatment operation in a coastal community. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment process required under Canadian federal and provincial regulations for municipal wastewater. Secondary treatment typically involves biological oxidation and settling to remove organic matter and suspended solids. The plant discharges an average of 400 cubic meters of treated wastewater per day. The treated effluent is discharged into the local marine environment, as the plant is situated within 10 kilometers of the Atlantic Ocean coast. This coastal discharge is subject to the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which sets national standards for effluent quality to protect aquatic life and human health.

The plant discharges into the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean near Bonavista, a region known for its rich marine biodiversity, including fish stocks such as cod and capelin. The nearby Bonavista Bay supports a variety of seabirds and marine mammals. The discharge of treated wastewater must meet federal effluent quality standards to minimize impacts on the sensitive coastal ecosystem.