Please note that this temporary solution is no longer available.
Questions & Answers
Halifax Water and the Halifax Regional Municipality to provide a temporary solution to address constraints in the private septic disposal system
Private Septage Haulers can visit here to download the Private Septage Hauler Agreements that they are required to sign and return to Melissa White at melissaw@halifaxwater.ca. Haulers must wait for approval before arriving to the site.
What is the issue around septage hauling and treatment?
On June 11, Halifax Water was made aware of an unanticipated mechanical failure at a significant privately owned facility. This has raised concerns regarding capacity constraints within private and public septage systems.
Upon learning of the situation, the municipality engaged in discussions with Halifax Water and the Province of Nova Scotia to identify potential interim solutions.
What is the temporary solution from Halifax Water?
Halifax Water, in collaboration with the Halifax Regional Municipality and the Province of Nova Scotia, has developed a short-term solution to address perceived constraints in the wastewater treatment system for private septic systems.
Starting Monday, June 24, 2024, private septage haulers will be able to sign an agreement with Halifax Water in advance of disposing of septage loads at a secured, monitored site compliant with regulatory requirements.
How long will this temporary solution be in place?
A short-term solution has been established for up to three weeks to help manage the unanticipated mechanical failure at a privately owned facility.
Where is the temporary site located?
449 Aerotech Drive, Goffs.
This site is directly across from the Aerotech Wastewater Treatment Plant. See map below.
When will the temporary site be opened?
Starting on Monday, June 24, septage haulers will be able to sign the agreement with Halifax Water in advance of disposing septage at the facility.
Halifax Water will prepare the site over the next few days.
What are the hours of operation for the temporary site?
Weekdays (excluding holidays) 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
What are the requirements for disposing of septage at this location?
Septage haulers must sign an agreement with Halifax Water stating that each operator will accept and meet several conditions and requirements before the utility will accept any septage material for disposal. They will also need to identify how many of their vehicles will be using the site and will need to provide the license plate number or unique vehicle ID and tank volume for each of the vehicles.
How do septage haulers sign an agreement with Halifax Water to dispose septage at this site? Private Septage Haulers can visit here to download the Private Septage Hauler Agreements that they are required to sign and return to Melissa White at melissaw@halifaxwater.ca. Haulers must wait for approval before arriving to the site. Private haulers can call Halifax Water Customer Care for more information 902-420-9287.
Is there a limit for disposing at this site?
Not at this time but based on the amount of septage received at the site, Halifax Water staff will be monitoring and inspecting to determine if limits will be required regularly to ensure we care within our regulatory parameters.
What are the long-term solutions?
Private septic systems are the responsibility of property owners and are regulated, with specific guidelines by NSECC
Based on conversations with NSECC, we know that there is capacity at other facilities in Nova Scotia. Some of these facilities are in a similar proximity to Halifax as the offline septage facility in Windsor.
Halifax Water and the regional municipality have coordinated this as a temporary solution to help address the current perception that there are constraints in the system.
What is the solution after the three weeks at the site adjacent to the Aerotech Wastewater Treatment Plant?
Based on the available capacity throughout the province, private haulers will likely start to better understand the options they have available for disposing of septage.
Temporary Septage Disposal Area