Experiences in
Industrial Waste in Ontario
F. A. VOEGE, Supervisor of Industrial Waste Branch
Ontario Water Resources Commission
Toronto,  Ontario
INTRODUCTION
Prior to 1957, industrial waste matters were investigated by personnel of
the Department of Health and the Department of Lands and Forests of the
Ontario Government. Due to lack of legislation regarding these industrial
wastes, it was difficult to investigate and then correct any faults due to their
discharge unless a health hazard to humans or fish and wildlife could be
proved. As we all know, the problems linked with industrial wastes do not
always fall within these categories but are nevertheless quite real. The Provincial authorities, in view of the increased industrial activity, recognized
this fact when, in 1956, after preliminary studies, they created the Ontario
Water Resources Commission to control and prevent the pollution of water
supplies in Ontario. The legislation which was enacted to allow this Commission to function enabled the industrial waste problem to be studied so that
corrective measures could be recommended. It was in the course of these
studies and investigations that the following experiences were encountered.
Ontario covers a large area comprising 412,582 sq miles stretching from
Manitoba and Minnesota on the west to Quebec and New York on the east.
As a comparison it is about eight-fifths the size of Texas. However, mere
size alone does not give any indication of the industrial activity involved
since most of the industries are located in the southern part ofthe Province.
These industries vary in sizes and types from small plating plants employing
two or three men to large oil refineries, pulp and paper plants and steel mills
employing thousands of people. Our experience in industrial waste have been
as varied as the sizes and types and we feel that up to now the surface has just
been scratched in this field of activity.
PLATING WASTES
The operations of plating establishments both large and small give rise to
many problems which are overcome in most cases hy employing the many
treatment devices and methods that are at present available.
One plating company, when informed that it was discharging toxic concentrations of cyanide into a small river and causing fish-kills, ceased using
cyanide in its operations altogether to the gratification of the conservation
officers in the area. Numerous companies have installed, or are planning to
install, continuous or batch chlorination to treat their cyanide wastes. One
problem which has arisen from the latter type of treatment is that the batch
tanks containing chlorine solution used to oxidize the cyanide are sometimes
dumped over a short period of time and any remaining chlorine is discharged
to the stream. Chlorine in large concentrations can also be toxic to the very
aquatic life in the stream that the treatment is trying to protect and of course
this hazard must be removed.
Hexavalent chromium can also be a hazard when discharged to water -
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