City taking steps to reduce number of combined sewer overflows in Cootes Paradise and Red Hill Creek

HAMILTON, ON –This month, the City of Hamilton began a series of underground sewer chamber upgrades in Westdale. The purpose of the work is to help monitor, control and capture more combined sewer overflows in real time in order to reduce the overall number of combined sewer overflow events that occur in Cootes Paradise and Red Hill Creek.

As part of phase two for the ongoing Real-Time Control project, the City of Hamilton is adding weirs and sensors to two sewer chambers in the Westdale community so that during rainfall events, combined sewer flow is directed away from overflow outfalls near sensitive areas such as Cootes Paradise and Red Hill Creek, and instead, is diverted to the City’s main wastewater collection system.

The City anticipates that once modifications to the two sewer chambers in Westdale are complete, overflows to Cootes Paradise are expected to reduce from an annual average of 12 to zero at the Glen Road location and from 12 to two at the Sterling location. This represents an annual average of 7,061,000 litres of combined sewage being diverted to the City’s main wastewater collection system. These reductions in overflows at the two sewer chambers will contribute to water quality improvements in Cootes Paradise.

Additionally, modifications to the sewer controls near Red Hill Creek are expected to reduce overflow events from an annual average of 10 to zero. This represents an annual average of 70,744,000 liters of combined sewage being diverted to the City’s main wastewater collection system. The reductions in overflows at the combined sewage tank and super pipe will contribute to water quality improvements in Red Hill Creek.

In order to accommodate the construction of these upgrades, road closures with posted detours will take place beginning on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at the following locations:

Sterling Street will be closed between Forsyth Avenue and Whitton Avenue

• During the closure, motorists should detour around the work zone using King Street and Forsyth Avenue.
• Pedestrian traffic will be maintained using the south sidewalk.
• Cyclists wishing to travel along Sterling Street can do so but are asked to dismount and walk their bike on the south sidewalk when crossing through the work zone.
• HSR Routes 1A, 5A/C and 51 that usually travel along Sterling Street will be on detour in both directions using King Street. Temporary bus stop signage will be installed along King Street. Access to McMaster University using these HSR routes will be maintained. Details will be available at: www.hamilton.ca/hsrdetours

Glen Road will be closed between Macklin Street and Tope Crescent

• Access to Glen Road on either side of the work zone will be maintained.
• During the closure, motorists and cyclists looking to access properties east of 55 Glen Road should detour around the work zone using Macklin Street to Carling Street.
• Pedestrian traffic will be maintained via a temporary sidewalk.
• HSR will not be impacted by this closure.

The full closure on Sterling Street will remain in effect for approximately four months, wrapping up by mid-August, 2023, weather permitting. The full closure on Glen Road will remain in effect for approximately five months, wrapping up in October 2023, weather permitting. Following the full road closure timeframes, intermittent periods of lane restrictions will take place while final steps in the project are completed extending into 2024.

Given the significance of this work, a dedicated webpage has been created for this project. For details, visit: www.hamilton.ca/waterconstructionprojects

Quick Facts

• The City of Hamilton began its Real-Time Control project in 2008 by identifying approximately $35 million of infrastructure investments required to maximize the wastewater system’s capacity and better position it to meet its goals for everything from localized flood protection to water quality.
• The Real-Time Control project is funded through the Green Infrastructure Fund which supports environmental infrastructure projects that promote reduced greenhouse gas emissions, cleaner air, cleaner water and cleaner land.
• In 2012, the first phase of the Real-Time Control project was completed, which included the installation of a new regulator gate at the Wellington/Burlington Combined Sewer Overflow Outfall which allowed the system to redirect combined sewer overflow for subsequent treatment at the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• It is estimated that the Real-Time Control capability as part of phase one has facilitated the capture of more than 580 million litres (average year conditions) of combined sewer overflow each year since implementation that would have otherwise overflowed the system. That improvement, in turn, had a measurable impact on the quality of water being returned to Hamilton Harbour.
• It is estimated that prior to the first phase of Real-Time Control operation being implemented at the Wellington/Burlington Combined Sewer Overflow Outfall, there were 44 combined sewer overflow events in the average year which has now been reduced to 23 events.
• The implementation of the first phase of Real-Time Control upgrades in 2012 and upgrades at the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant allowed for additional volumes of combined sewer overflows to be captured and treated. This supports the City in its efforts to meet Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan targets for Total Suspended Solids, Total Phosphorus and Ammonia-N.