scholarly journals Mind the Gap: Management System Standards Addressing the Gap for Ontario’s Municipal Drinking Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Ecosystem of Regulations

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Tovilla
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Management System ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Regulatory Framework ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Water Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Environmental Objectives

The research finds evidence in support of and wide recognition of the practical value of management system standards (MSS) by assisting municipalities in meeting their human health protection, environmental objectives, addressing environmental and property damage risks, and providing an additional mechanism of public accountability and transparency. Semi-structured interviews were applied to assess perceptions with practitioners and environmental non-governmental organizations on whether a similar approach to the legally required drinking water quality management standard (DWQMS) could be applied for the municipal wastewater and stormwater sectors. Twelve Ontario municipalities have adopted or are in the process of adopting an ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) standard for their wastewater and/or stormwater systems, which represents 66% of Ontario’s population. With the large urban centres (e.g., Toronto, York Region, Durham Region, Halton Region and Peel Region) adopting the standard, this is likely to influence small to medium-sized cities to follow a similar approach. Although, resources might be a factor preventing the cohort of smaller utilities voluntarily taking this path. Regulations governing Ontario’s municipal drinking water, wastewater and stormwater utilities were compared via gap analysis. Gaps on management of the system, performance monitoring, auditing and having minimum design criteria left the municipal wastewater and stormwater sectors behind in comparison with recently updated (2004–2008) regulatory framework for the drinking water sector. Based on the identification and review of significant gaps in wastewater and stormwater regulation (compared with the drinking water sector), environmental MSS should be incorporated to strengthen the regulatory framework of these sectors. These phenomena also depict a form of sustainable governance with the use of MSS, which are initiated, developed and regulated by non-state actors, recognizing the value of non-state rule instruments in the water, wastewater and stormwater sectors.

scholarly journals Value of a made-in-Ontario management system standard for municipal wastewater and stormwater utilities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Tovilla
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Quality Management System ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Group Method ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Environmental Objectives ◽  
Made In

Abstract This paper builds on previous research to address the question of whether there is practical value for a made-in-Ontario municipal management system standard (MSS) for wastewater and stormwater related activities, in addition to the Drinking Water Quality Management System Standard (DWQMS) that is already statutorily required. This research specifically addressed the questions: is there value in a mandatory or voluntary MSS; are there neutral, positive, or negative effects of having an MSS; and what standard is more adequate? Through a focus group method, this research finds evidence in support of and wide recognition of the practical value an MSS in assisting municipalities in meeting their environmental objectives, addressing property damage risks, providing an additional mechanism of public accountability, and improving alignment with the legal structure. It was also apparent that there is no political appetite in the provincial government to embark on a mandated MSS, so the preferred option at this time appears to be a provincially endorsed, voluntary, sector-specific standard for wastewater and for stormwater, which could constitute a catalyst to boost voluntary uptake of MSS by small to medium municipalities (as is already occurring with large municipalities). This standard could be based on a customized variation of the ISO 14001 and DWQMS.

Development and Implementation of an Environmental Management System for an Oil Company in South Trinidad, in Accordance With the ISO 14001 Standard

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya S. Maharaj ◽  
Shyam Dyal ◽  
Kelvin Ramnath
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Trinidad And Tobago ◽  
Management System ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Environmental Management System ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Implementation Plan ◽  
The World ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Iso 14001 Standard

Abstract Trinidad and Tobago has the oldest petroleum industry in the world. The activities of this industry have historically impacted the environment and newly drafted environmental rules and regulations of Trinidad and Tobago will require sound environmental management systems by all operating companies in the industry. In order to meet the challenges of these new regulations, the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Petrotrin) is currently pursuing the development and implementation of an Environmental Management System within its Exploration and Production operations in accordance with the ISO 14001 Standard. This project was initiated in October 1999, and is expected to terminate in December 2001 with international certification. Petrotrin, realizing the competitive advantages that can result from the integration of an Environmental Management System into its operating systems, has placed the implementation of the EMS as a company strategic goal. The project was categorized into three main stages: Development, Implementation and Audit/Certification. To date, the Development Stage has been completed and the implementation stage initiated, with the following successes: • Allocation of manpower resources in the formation of the Steering and Executive Management Committees, and an EMS Project Team; • Training of project personnel in ISO 14001/10/11/12 Standards; • Revision of the company Environmental Policy statement; • Conducting the Gap Analysis Study; • Development of the Implementation Plan based on the results of the Gap Analysis; • Initiated the development of the EMS manual and drafted initial procedures as outlined in the Implementation Plan; • Collection and analysis of data for identification of Significant Environmental Aspects and impacts for Exploration and Production activities. The Development and Implementation of an Environmental Management System in accordance with the world renowned ISO 14001 is expected to derive many benefits to Petrotrin such as reduced operating costs, improved financial performance, increased access to markets, improved environmental performance, improved community relations, improved customer relations and employee involvement and education.

scholarly journals Use of veld condition assessment to set objectives and targets for an ISO 14001 environmental management system for Vaalbos National Park

Koedoe ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Bancroft ◽  
H. Bezuidenhout ◽  
J.G. Nel
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
National Park ◽  
Condition Assessment ◽  
Environmental Management System ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Procedural Approach ◽  
Environmental Objectives

ISO 14001 is a procedural approach to environmental management, based on a philosophy of continual improvement. The planning element of ISO 14001, requires that environmental objectives and environmental targets are set to achieve the goals of the environmental policy. The stocking of game in Vaalbos National Park, is an aspect which impacts on the environment. Veld condition assessment, is essential to set objectives and targets for the management of the stocking rates in the park. Regular monitoring and a flexible management style is necessary to accommodate the fluctuation in veld condition caused by varying climatic conditions and other factors. This ties in well with the requirements of ISO 14001, an environmental management system, which requires that short and long term objectives and targets be set for managing an environmental aspects (e.g. veld utilisation) and environmental impacts (e.g. loss of biodiversity) that these targets are regularly monitored and improved upon.

Web enablement of a Water Safety Plan via the municipal-based electronic Water Quality Management System (eWQMS)

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-577
Author(s):  
P. F. de Souza ◽  
J. E. Burgess ◽  
M. Swart ◽  
V. Naidoo ◽  
A. Blanckenberg
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Quality Management System ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Water Services ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Safety Plan ◽  
Water Safety Plan

Despite a good legislative framework, South Africa faces significant challenges in the sustainable provision of adequate and safe water services. To improve the situation, South Africa's Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and other water sector partners undertook initiatives to assist municipalities with operation and management of water services. By way of example, in 2006, the municipal engineering oriented electronic Water Quality Management System (eWQMS) was implemented, providing municipalities with a platform for loading drinking water quality data and tracking performance of key water services management functions. Following this in 2008, DWA introduced an incentive-based regulatory programme, Blue Drop Certification (BDC), and the associated regulatory drinking water quality information system, the Blue Drop System (BDS) which is, for example, populated with data loaded by municipalities onto eWQMS. An integral part of BDC is the development of Water Safety Plans (WSPs). Due to the challenges faced by municipalities in developing WSPs, the Water Research Commission (WRC) saw a need to assist municipalities, and subsequently a generic Water Safety Plan for Small Community Water Supplies was developed. The WRC also saw the need to develop an easy-to-use WSP tool for municipalities. The eWQMS was selected as the platform for making the tool available. This paper presents the development of a web-enabled WSP tool on the eWQMS which ultimately will provide the information to the BDS.

Improvement of Institutional Radioactive Waste Management via Implementation of Environmental Management System

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Fabjan ◽  
Bojan Hertl ◽  
Metka Kralj ◽  
Jozˇe Rojc
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Environmental Planning ◽  
Environmental Management System ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Radioactive Waste Management ◽  
Environmental Objectives

Management of institutional radioactive waste in Slovenia is one of the main processes in the management system of Agency for Radwaste Management (ARAO). The management system integrates the quality management system ISO 9001 and the environmental management system that was certified according to the standard ISO 14001:2004 in October 2007. The certificate represents a permanent commitment of ARAO to improve the environmental management system and implement environmental planning. Environmental planning includes and maintains environmental objectives and targets in all ARAO’s activities, especially in managing the institutional radioactive waste that can have potential environmental impacts and is considered as a risky activity from the public view point. We defined a general ARAO’s register of environmental aspects with seven main groups of aspects. Each aspect was evaluated according to its impacts with the help of multiple criteria and only the aspects evaluated as significant are dealt with in further environmental planning. Environmental planning was implemented in the process of managing of institutional radioactive waste. Our methodology for evaluating the significance of environmental aspects showed three significant aspects. Appropriate environmental objectives and targets were defined for these aspects in a way that they were measurable, if applicable, consistent with the ARAO’s environmental policy. It was assured that they provided adequate environmental protection measures and protection of human health, compliance with national legal requirements and international directives dealing with radioactive waste management and that the production of radioactive waste was minimized. The environmental planning is carried out annually, and each year we are looking for opportunities to minimize potential environmental impacts of our service. In this paper, ARAO’s experience with environmental planning and the realization of the objectives and targets that have already been achieved, implemented and integrated in the process of managing of institutional radioactive waste are presented. The results and the successful completion of environmental programs contribute to optimization of the management system and the quality of ARAO’s process performance. Implementation of environmental management system according to ISO 14001 increased the satisfaction of producers of institutional radioactive waste management that come from medicine, research and industry. It is also part of confidence building by our stakeholders.

scholarly journals Examining The Evolving Environmental Protection Policy Convergence In The Ontario Municipal Drinking Water, Wastewater And Stormwater Sectors: Analysis Of State/Non-State Governance And The Value Of An Environmental Management System Standard For The Wastewater And Stormwater Sectors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgardo Tovilla
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Environmental Management ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Management System ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Environmental Management System ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Policy Convergence ◽  
Municipal Water

The central question this dissertation attempts to answer is whether there is practical value in Ontario legislatively mandating that municipalities implement an environmental management system (EMS) standard for their wastewater and stormwater activities, to be added to the drinking water quality management system standard (DWQMS) that is already statutorily required. This research explores the evolving governance approaches of the municipal drinking, wastewater and stormwater sectors in Ontario, examining theories of governance, a review of the literature concerning policy convergence and standards as instruments of organizational innovation and the legal and policy framework within which municipal water management takes place.<div>The research method employed a combination of semi-structured interviews, case studies and a focus group as data gathering techniques. The research finds evidence in support of and wide recognition of the practical value of EMS by assisting municipalities in meeting their environmental objectives, addressing environmental and property damage risks, providing an additional mechanism of public accountability, transparency, and improving alignment with the existing legal structure. It was also apparent that there is no political appetite in the provincial government to embark on a mandated EMS, so the preferred option at this time is a provincially-endorsed, voluntary sector-specific standard for wastewater and also for stormwater, which could constitute a catalyst to boost voluntary uptake of EMS by small to medium municipalities (as it is already occurring with large municipalities). This standard could be based on a customized variation of the ISO 14001, DWQMS and other standards to address existing regulatory gaps. </div><div>The research also reveals that Ontario municipal water management governance is notable because governments are drawing on independently developed and implementing non-state forms of regulation (such as EMS standards), in which private sector, civil society and multistakeholder rule instruments, processes, institutions and actors all perform important roles in support of conventional state-based regulation, showing both horizontal and vertical policy convergence. </div><div>A limitation of the research is that it focuses on water governance of municipalities of one jurisdiction. Future research could examine the practical utility of examining water governance to other contexts (e.g., water governance for First Nations, and in non-Canadian jurisdictions) </div>

scholarly journals Examining The Evolving Environmental Protection Policy Convergence In The Ontario Municipal Drinking Water, Wastewater And Stormwater Sectors: Analysis Of State/Non-State Governance And The Value Of An Environmental Management System Standard For The Wastewater And Stormwater Sectors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgardo Tovilla
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Environmental Management ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Management System ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Environmental Management System ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Policy Convergence ◽  
Municipal Water

The central question this dissertation attempts to answer is whether there is practical value in Ontario legislatively mandating that municipalities implement an environmental management system (EMS) standard for their wastewater and stormwater activities, to be added to the drinking water quality management system standard (DWQMS) that is already statutorily required. This research explores the evolving governance approaches of the municipal drinking, wastewater and stormwater sectors in Ontario, examining theories of governance, a review of the literature concerning policy convergence and standards as instruments of organizational innovation and the legal and policy framework within which municipal water management takes place.<div>The research method employed a combination of semi-structured interviews, case studies and a focus group as data gathering techniques. The research finds evidence in support of and wide recognition of the practical value of EMS by assisting municipalities in meeting their environmental objectives, addressing environmental and property damage risks, providing an additional mechanism of public accountability, transparency, and improving alignment with the existing legal structure. It was also apparent that there is no political appetite in the provincial government to embark on a mandated EMS, so the preferred option at this time is a provincially-endorsed, voluntary sector-specific standard for wastewater and also for stormwater, which could constitute a catalyst to boost voluntary uptake of EMS by small to medium municipalities (as it is already occurring with large municipalities). This standard could be based on a customized variation of the ISO 14001, DWQMS and other standards to address existing regulatory gaps. </div><div>The research also reveals that Ontario municipal water management governance is notable because governments are drawing on independently developed and implementing non-state forms of regulation (such as EMS standards), in which private sector, civil society and multistakeholder rule instruments, processes, institutions and actors all perform important roles in support of conventional state-based regulation, showing both horizontal and vertical policy convergence. </div><div>A limitation of the research is that it focuses on water governance of municipalities of one jurisdiction. Future research could examine the practical utility of examining water governance to other contexts (e.g., water governance for First Nations, and in non-Canadian jurisdictions) </div>

Characterizing ground water salinity in Coastal Bangladesh by using observations and perception-based information

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Mofizur Rahman ◽  
Alexandra Nauditt
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Water Quality Monitoring ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Water Salinity ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Tube Well

&lt;p&gt;Salinity intrusion has become a serious threat to coastal areas worldwide, with severe effects on human health, agricultural production and ecosystem services. Coastal populations of Bangladesh, as with many other countries, are living with and experiencing rising salinity in drinking water on a daily basis. Water quality management requires reliable data based on continuous monitoring of freshwater at any abstraction source. However, such monitoring is costly and unavailable in most of the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Several perception studies based on semi-structured interviews have shown a strong potential to support environmental monitoring but inadequate for decision-making. Therefore, we attempted to capture state of water salinity through people&amp;#8217;s experiences lenses, self-reported perception, and measured salinity. The overall objective of this study is therefore to evaluate if the perception of coastal inhabitants in Bangladesh adequately describes salinity loads in drinking water in space and time. In this paper, we are going to describe spatial and temporal variation of drinking water salinity in a coastal delta of Bangladesh. In addition, to present the analysis of self-reported perception on salinity in drinking water in compassion to measured actual salinity of tube-well water. Our initial analysis shows that there is a large spatial variation of salinity in drinking water but no seasonal variation. In addition to that, we found that salinity loads are differing with tube-well depths. The majority of the interviewed people were able to report salinity in drinking water when it was also measured, although with some mismatch between measured and perceived salinity. This might influenced by taste adaptation to salt and other socio-cultural factors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The results suggest that our interdisciplinary approach is useful to explore the state of drinking water salinity in coastal areas, water consumption practices of the coastal community and we concluded that regular water quality monitoring along with people&amp;#180;s perception studies could better support the decision-making related to coastal water management.&lt;/p&gt;

Artificial neural networks: applications in the drinking water sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1869-1887 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. O'Reilly ◽  
C. C. Bezuidenhout ◽  
J. J. Bezuidenhout
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Artificial Neural Networks ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Water Sector ◽  
Artificial Neural

Abstract Artificial neural networks (ANNs) could be used in effective drinking water quality management. This review provides an overview about the history of ANNs and their applications and shortcomings in the drinking water sector. From the papers reviewed, it was found that ANNs might be useful modelling tools due to their successful application in areas such as pipes/infrastructure, membrane filtration, coagulation dosage, disinfection residuals, water quality, etc. The most popular ANNs applied were feed-forward networks, especially Multi-layer Perceptrons (MLPs). It was also noted that over the past decade (2006–2016), ANNs have been increasingly applied in the drinking water sector. This, however, is not the case for South Africa where the application of ANNs in distribution systems is little to non-existent. Future research should be directed towards the application of ANNs in South African distribution systems and to develop these models into decision-making tools that water purification facilities could implement.

scholarly journals Evaluate the efficiency of the Environmental Management System Iso 14001:2015 at The Vietnam Onamba Company

2020 ◽  
pp. 173-179
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Environmental Management System ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Environmental Objectives ◽  
Environmental Footprints ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Chemical Usage

Nowadays, the benefits of ISO 14001:2015 abound, for minimizing environmental footprints, providing operational improvements, bringing lucrative business and improving the company’s image. There is an annual audit to decide if the company’s environmental management system meets the requirements of ISO 14001:2015. This is a significant audit that strongly affects the current certificate. The study to “Evaluate the efficiency of the environmental management system ISO 14001:2015 at the Vietnam Onamba Company” has been conducted to research the internal audit and examine any discordance in the environmental management system. The study carries out the internal audit of the environmental management system ISO 14001:2015 at VTO company by 3P method (P1: Paper check, P2: People interview, P3: Practice Observe). The result of the study showed a minor discordance at (6.2) Environmental Objectives and planning to achieve them. Regarding other clauses, they meet the requirements of the environmental management system. The result shows that the responsibility and careful observation of the company in controlling the system. The study evaluates reducing consumption (electricity, water, and chemicals) through collecting and comparing the data between 2017 and 2018. The results show the efficiency of reducing consumption: monthly electricity consumption reduced 21,86% (377 MWh); monthly water usage reduced 17,89% (1421 m3); annual chemical usage reduced from 3 to 6%.

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