As the public review of the proposed Samonix land-based salmon farm continues, how much do we know about what exactly will be discharged back into the Ottawa River everyday?
The project documents describe an extensive water treatment system involving filtration, dissolved air flotation, biological treatment, ultraviolet disinfection, and ozonation. According to the company, wastewater will be treated before being released back into the river, and all discharges will be required to comply with environmental standards established by Quebec regulators.
On the surface, that sounds reassuring. However, several important questions remain.
The proposed facility would withdraw between 2.3 million and 4 million litres of water from the Ottawa River every day. The documents also indicate that an average of 2.3 million litres of treated effluent would be discharged back into the river daily. Supporters of the project point out that these volumes represent only a tiny fraction of the Ottawa River's flow, and mathematically they are correct.
However, environmental impacts are not measured solely by the volume of water entering or leaving a facility. What matters just as much is what is in that water.
The project documentation identifies several substances that may be present in the final discharge, including chlorides from added salt, phosphorus, nitrogen compounds, and suspended solids. These are expected by-products of raising fish in a recirculating aquaculture system. The project argues that the Ottawa River's size and flow will allow these substances to be diluted rapidly after discharge.
That may well be the case. However, projections are not the same as real-world results, and dilution does not mean a discharge is chemical-free. It also does not answer questions about potential long-term effects on the local aquatic environment.
While the documentation provides information about treatment processes, discharge limits, and monitoring requirements, there also does not appear to be a publicly available, comprehensive inventory identifying all chemicals expected to be used at the facility. The documents refer to coagulants, polymers, disinfectants, ozone treatment, and fish health products, but they do not clearly identify every substance that may be used, the quantities that may be required, or the concentrations that could ultimately be present in the final effluent.
That does not mean these substances pose a problem. Municipal water treatment plants, industrial facilities, and many other operations use treatment chemicals every day while operating safely and within regulatory requirements. Nevertheless, transparency matters. For a project expected to operate for decades using one of the region's most important waterways, it’s reasonable to expect this information to be readily available.
Another question concerns what will be monitored over the long term. The proposed monitoring program includes regular testing of effluent for chlorides, phosphorus, nitrogen, suspended solids, pH, oxygen, and toxicity. These measurements are important. However, the documents place far less emphasis on long-term monitoring of the river itself. Will there be ongoing monitoring of fish habitat, freshwater mussels, aquatic vegetation, sediment conditions, or other ecological indicators near the discharge point? If so, what will that monitoring look like, and will the results be made public?
The Ottawa River is more than just a source of water. It has supported fish, wildlife, recreation, tourism, and drinking water supplies for communities downstream for generations. Project documents note that Portage-du-Fort's municipal water intake is located approximately five kilometres downstream from the proposed discharge point. The project concludes that dilution and dispersion within the river will prevent measurable impacts on drinking water supplies. But these are just projections. If that conclusion is correct, greater public disclosure of the modelling, testing, monitoring plans, and chemical inventory should be publicly available.
The purpose of the BAPE process is not to determine whether people support or oppose a project. It is to ensure that important questions are asked and answered before decisions are made. One of the many questions that appear worth asking is simple: Can Samonix provide a complete inventory of all treatment chemicals, disinfectants, fish health products, cleaning agents, coagulants, polymers, and other additives expected to be used on site, along with annual quantities, storage volumes, and expected concentrations in the final effluent discharged to the Ottawa River?
For a project of this scale, transparency is not an obstacle. It is an essential part of earning public trust. Before any long-term decision is made, residents deserve to know not only how much water will be taken and returned to the Ottawa River, but also as clearly as possible, what will be in it and how its effects will be monitored over time.