City of Hamilton proactive maintenance program finds sewage leak on Rutherford Avenue

Hamilton, ON – As a result of the Burlington Street West spill on November 22, 2022, Hamilton Water staff have been piloting a risk-based inspection program that focuses on other areas of the combined sewer system where similar sewer cross connections could be present.

On Saturday Hamilton Water staff were conducting a number of these investigations and discovered a potential cross connected sewer on Rutherford Avenue at Myrtle Avenue in Ward 3. Staff verified earlier this afternoon that this cross connection does exist.

Based on staff’s preliminary investigation and consultation of City records, a 100-year-old combined sewer pipe was connected into a newly constructed storm sewer in 1996. Since that time as many as 11 residential properties have been discharging sanitary wastewater directly to the storm sewer and to Hamilton Harbour.

Staff are not currently aware of the exact volume of the discharge but will be publicly reporting this number as soon as their assessment is complete.

Hamilton Water’s immediate priority upon discovering the leak was mitigating the spill and to protect the environment. We continue to follow the necessary notification protocols to the Province and other agencies.

Upon discovering the leak, Hamilton Water staff are taking the following actions:

• Reported the spill to MECP Spills Action Centre around 1:45 pm
• Reported the spill to City Spills around 1:55 pm
• Took short-term action to stop the flow from the leak to the Harbour

A vacuum truck has been mobilized to the location to prevent the discharge from occurring while City Staff determine an appropriate permanent remedy.