City taking steps toward a comprehensive Watershed Action Plan in Hamilton

HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton is taking steps toward developing a comprehensive Watershed Action Plan and reiterating its commitment to the water quality objectives outlined in the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan.

Yesterday, Hamilton’s General Issues Committee received information about the development of a Watershed Action Plan for the City of Hamilton and the many years of work and investments that have been put into reducing point-source contamination in Hamilton Harbour.

By the end of 2022, the majority of the work to reduce point-source contamination in Hamilton Harbour will be complete.

Looking ahead, the City will focus on non-point-source contamination within Hamilton’s watersheds. The new Watershed Action Plan will help to identify and guide the work to address non-point-source contamination and will focus on activities that are within the care and control of the City of Hamilton.

Actions under the new Watershed Action Plan will benefit recreation and natural habitats in the watershed and continue the process to delist Hamilton Harbour as an identified Area of Concern. The City will engage with a number of key stakeholders through the development of the Plan to conduct in-depth consultation and engagement. Key stakeholders include the Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton Conservation Authority and Conservation Halton. The City will also engage with Bay Area Restoration Council, City of Burlington, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Environment Hamilton, Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, The Regional Municipality of Halton, Indigenous Nations and First Peoples, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Grand River Conservation Authority, McMaster University, Redeemer University, Green Venture, Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

It is estimated that it will take two years to develop the full Watershed Action Plan in Hamilton. The final plan will include a capital implementation strategy that will outline a five to 10-year capital budget plan and financing strategy.

Quick facts

• The City has been a participant in the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan since its inception in 1985 and has been a key contributor for many point-source projects that have been or will be implemented which include:
  • Construction of nine combined sewer overflow tanks over 30 years
  • Sewer lateral cross connection investigations and repairs
  • Implementation of tertiary treatment at the Dundas Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • Primary treatment expansion at the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • Construction of tertiary treatment at the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • Real-time control of key wastewater collection system regulators
  • Decommissioning the Waterdown Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • Windermere Basin restoration
  • Financial contribution to the Randle Reef Engineered Containment Facility
  • Implementation of the Surface Water Quality Program to better understand and mitigate City infrastructure impacts on receiving waters
• Point-source contamination enters the environment and can be traced to a clear and specific source. This can include wastewater treatment plants, industrial plants or other locations that are easier to identify, monitor and regulate.
• Non-point-source contamination enters the environment through less identifiable sources, which cannot be traced to a single location. This can include pollution from urban runoff that include oils, fertilizers, pesticides or other contaminants.