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Flushing Out the Truth - Sewage Dumping in Ontario
Dec 21, 2010 11:26 AM
Tens of billions of litres of untreated sewage are entering Ontario's waterways because of outdated infrastructure and poor oversight by the provincial government.
Rainy days are anything but cleansing for Ontario’s waterways and Great Lakes — these fresh water resources double as sewage dumps when municipal systems are overburdened.
Ecojustice is helping to cut down on this toxic pollution with a recent report revealing that approximately 26 billion litres of raw sewage was dumped into Ontario waterways from 2006 to 2007 throughout 89 Ontario communities. Flushing Out the Truth shows that the culprits behind sewage dumping are poor government oversight and outdated sewage infrastructure that allows excessive stormwater runoff to enter sewers.
Regardless of the quality of the treatment plant, raw sewage still ends up in Ontario’s waterways when heavy storms overwhelm sewage systems. In bypass events, raw or undertreated sewage is intentionally dumped into waterways to relieve excess volume, while combined sewer overflows result when sewage and storm water are both channeled through the same pipes, causing the system to overflow.
Following the release of Flushing Out the Truth, the federal environment minister announced that new sewage regulations and funding for municipal infrastructure updates are coming into force. However, draft regulations reveal substantial loopholes that give municipalities with combined sewers an “out clause” that excuses them from upgrading their system for as long as 30 years.
Ecojustice continues to push for the issue of combined sewers to be adequately addressed through stronger wastewater laws.
Ecojustice Staff:
"The fact that the Ontario Government fails to even monitor it correctly demonstrates poor planning and dangerously uninformed decision making."
- Elaine MacDonald, senior scientist
- Elaine MacDonald, senior scientist
