Prevent Sanitary Wastewater Contamination

It is the responsibility of all of those working within labs at UBCO to keep hazardous materials out of our water systems. To prevent contamination, the following rules should always be followed when working within laboratory space.

• Do not dispose of any hazardous materials down the sink
• Make sure containers of liquids are not leaking.
• Ensure laboratory equipment and experiments that create wastewater do not leak.
• Make sure liquids are stored in secondary containment: trays, sealable containers or segregated (dammed) areas, with no floor drain so that spills are contained.
• Do not dispose of any waste into a storm sewer
• If a laboratory process is connected to a water supply, do not connect it to a sewer or use contaminated or toxic liquids unless a backflow prevention device is included.
• Control and contain spill to prevent any hazardous materials from entering the sewer

If you have any questions regarding disposal or to vet small scale neutralization procedures, contact Health, Safety and Environment at HSE.ok@ubc.ca.