Wastewater discharge permit (for industry or manufacturing)

This permit regulates the amount and quality of industrial wastewater that manufacturers and industrial organizations may discharge into City sewers.

Apply for a permit

1. Download the wastewater discharge permit application form PDF file (375 KB).
2. Gather the supporting documents:
   • Proof of current business licence
   • Proof of a registry search (dated within the past 30 days) that shows your company is registered with the BC Ministry of Finance
3. Send your application, the supporting documents, and permit fee to Environmental Protection.
4. We do an initial review your application that takes about three months.
5. We contact you to share the outcome of our review. Either your permit is approved or needs an additional review. Each additional review takes about one month.
6. We issue your permit and invoice you annually for your permit administration fees.
7. Metro Vancouver calculates your industrial treatment fees and invoices you quarterly.

Follow the permit conditions 

• Provide monthly reports on wastewater quality and discharge volumes.
• Allow access for inspections and audit sampling at any time.

Change your permit

There are two types of changes: minor and major.

Minor amendments include:

• Change of your company's name or legal address
• Change of your monitoring program
• Decrease in the quantity of contaminants or flow requested
• Change to the discharge you are authorized for, such that, in the opinion of the sewage control manager, there would be equal or lower demand for regulation and treatment
• Change to the works or measures you are authorized for, such that, in the opinion of the sewage control manager, there would be equal or lower demand for regulation and treatment

Major amendments include all other changes.

To amend your permit, send the following to Environmental Protection:

1. A letter with the information you want to change on your permit
2. A cheque for the amendment fee that applies to your changes

We may contact you to ask for further information.

Transfer your permit

If your company changed:

• Registered name, complete the transfer request form PDF file (70 KB) and send it Environmental Protection with an application to make a minor amendment to your permit (see the previous section).
• Ownership, complete the transfer request form PDF file (70 KB) and send it to Environmental Protection.

Renew your permit

Near the anniversary date of your permit, we'll send you an invoice for the upcoming year's administration fees. This fee is calculated using a formula in the Metro Vancouver Sewer Use By-law External website, opens in new tab.

Cancel your permit

Contact Environmental Protection.