HAMILTON, ON - Last week, the City of Hamilton informed the public about additional details of a combined sewage spill into Chedoke Creek. Today, Mayor Eisenberger and members of City Council are issuing a formal apology to the residents of Hamilton.

“We apologize to the residents of Hamilton for the failure to publicly disclose the volume and duration of the discharge of storm water runoff and sanitary sewage into Chedoke Creek when it first became known to the Council in 2018 and at subsequent Committee and Council meetings.” - Mayor Eisenberger and members of City Council

As well, in an effort to begin rebuilding the public’s trust, Council has directed staff to publicly release several reports related to the discharge. Brief executive summaries of each of these documents are below this media release. The documents are posted on the City’s website.

In addition to publicly sharing these documents, Council requested the following:

That staff be directed to compile and release publicly an inventory and summary of all water samples collected and retained by the City of Hamilton, from January 2014 to present

That the City seek to reconcile with Indigenous Water Walkers to come into right relations on the concerns raised about waste materials in Hamilton Harbour and Cootes Paradise.

That Public Health be directed to immediately identify, assess and report back on: Any health-related incidents associated with exposure to contaminated waterways in the Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise; Hospital and clinic data and public health notifications for any unusual illnesses reported since January 2014 that may be the result of bacterial contamination related to the discharge storm water runoff and sanitary sewage into Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise;

That staff be directed to report back on the governance, collection and reporting model regarding water sample collection;

That staff send a copy of this motion to ask the Hamilton Conservation Authority, and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, to release an inventory and summary of all water samples collected and retained related to Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise from January 2014 to present;

That Public Works and Communications staff prepare a document that detail the chronology of when the Mayor and members of Council were apprised of the situation at Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise and the method of reporting (Committee or Council; type of report (written or verbal) and media releases from July 2018 to present;

That staff report back publicly on the environmental impacts of the discharge; and

That the City recommit to the water quality objectives in the Remedial Action Plan process.

Council has made a number of significant investments in the wastewater system and is taking steps to improve transparency by implementing access by design policies.

On November 4, 2019, the City launched the first phase of an enhanced notification protocol for informing the public about bypasses at the wastewater treatment plant. Phase one includes notifications on the City’s website if there is a bypass at the wastewater treatment plant. Last night, Council also added public notification for the City’s 14 monitored combined sewer overflow outfall locations to phase one of the enhanced protocol. Phase two will launch in spring 2020 and will include automated notifications for bypasses at the treatment plant, and overflows at the City’s 14 monitored combined sewer overflow outfall locations.

As part of the 2020 Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Budget, Council added four additional staff to improve the routine physical inspection and preventative maintenance programs for Hamilton Water Infrastructure including water and wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations, and combined sewer overflow tanks; and one Water Quality Technologist to sample and analyze water and wastewater quality.

Council has directed staff to develop an Access By Design Policy for the City to support and proactively disclose information and documents. This policy is coming to the Audit, Finance & Administration Committee for review on December 5.

Council has directed staff to develop a policy and/or protocol to guarantee sharing of consultant’s reports with Council when there are risks to human health and safety. This policy is coming for review in January.

In January, Council will also review a policy and/or protocol to Council for all Federal and Provincial Ministry or Provincial Officer Orders that are received by management or staff. These orders will be shared with City Council and copies displayed in a prominent place on the City website.

In the last 30 years, the City built nine combined sewage overflow facilities that can store the equivalent of 125 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of combined sewage during wet weather – these tanks help to protect public and private infrastructure and properties (particularly basements) from sewer backups, surcharges and overflows.

The City has been working to implement sensors and information systems that help staff make data-based decisions around directing the flow of wastewater during wet weather. The real time control program allows for the capture of optimal amounts of wastewater within the system to ensure unnecessary discharges during severe weather do not occur. The Real Time Control program allows staff to monitor various gates, tanks, and other key areas to make real time decisions related to which areas of the system have capacity to hold wastewater prior to discharging into the environment. Phase one of implementing the Real Time Control program began in 2010 and is now complete. Phase two is in the detailed design phase and will be implemented in the coming years.

The largest investment of the Clean Harbour program is a multi-phase plan to upgrade the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant. Because the plant is the largest single source of water flowing into Hamilton Harbour, the quality of that effluent has a direct and powerful impact on the harbour’s water quality and environmental health. The total budget for the upgrades is $340 million, $200 million of which comes from the provincial and federal governments through the Green Infrastructure Fund. The upgrades include elevating the plant’s final treatment process from the secondary level to the tertiary (third) level. This will allow the plant to reach strict discharge limits described by the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan for phosphorus, ammonia and suspended solids. Sub-projects at the Woodward plant include electrical system upgrades, a new chlorine tank and a new raw sewage pumping station and collection system control to support wet weather and flooding control initiatives

The Sewer Lateral Cross-Connection Program was initiated to identify and correct plumbing deficiencies that exist when a property’s sanitary lateral is improperly connected to a storm sewer. These sewer lateral cross connections are typically present from the time the house is built and left uncorrected, results in sanitary waste discharging directly into the city’s watercourses. To date, the City has identified and corrected over 365 cross-connections. This translates into more than 65 million litres of wastewater diverted away from the natural environment and into the sewage treatment system each year.

A research study was undertaken as a part of the Clean Harbour Program with respect to floatables found in Hamilton Harbour. The study includes a baseline assessment of the City’s wastewater infrastructure, an evaluation of current performance and identifies best practices and offers recommendations to reduce the presence of floatable materials reaching the harbour. The study is still ongoing and results will be presented to the Public Works Committee in the first quarter of 2020.

Attached Documents

Executive Summaries