Enhanced public notification for wastewater treatment plant bypass and combined sewer overflows

HAMILTON, ON - Earlier today, the City of Hamilton’s Public Works Committee received a presentation from staff regarding an enhanced public notification protocol for bypasses at the wastewater treatment plant or at combined sewer overflow locations. 

Phase one of the enhanced public notification protocol will launch today and will include notifications on the City’s website if there is a bypass at the wastewater treatment plant. Bypasses typically occur in extreme wet weather, when the amount of wastewater entering the system exceeds the capacity of the treatment plant. Starting today, the City will post details of any bypass at www.hamilton.ca/wastewaterbypass. 

Phase two of the enhanced public notification process will launch in spring 2020 and will include automated notifications for bypasses at the treatment plant, and overflows at the City’s combined sewer overflow outfall locations.

Similarly, these overflow locations are active when the amount of combined wastewater exceeds the sewer capacity. Phase two will also include historical records of previous bypasses and overflows where the information is available.

In addition to the enhanced public notification protocol, City staff also launched an educational video to help explain how combined sewer systems work.

Combined sewer systems are common in older cities like Hamilton. Constructing combined sewers was the accepted building practice for over 100 years, with most older major cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Windsor having large combined sewer systems.

Quick facts about combined sewer systems:

• Combined sewers have one pipe that collects both wastewater from our homes and businesses, and storm water from rain or melted snow. 
• In cases with a lot of rain or melting snow, the additional volume of water in the combined sewers can exceed the capacity of the system.
• To help, from the 1980s through to 2010, the City built nine large storage tanks in strategic locations across the City to hold excess water during heavy rainfall.
• These combined sewer overflow tanks hold more than 314,000 cubic metres of diluted wastewater. During extreme wet weather events, the combined sewer overflow tanks will fill and store the excess water. If the tanks reach their full capacity, they will overflow. 
• If the combined sewer system didn’t have the designed overflow option to release wastewater to the Harbour, large areas of Hamilton would experience flooding -  which would impact homes, businesses, roadways, public spaces and public health. 

Hamilton also has separated sewer systems in newer parts of Hamilton – such as areas on the mountain south of Mohawk Rd and newer areas like Binbrook and Waterdown.

Additional resources:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iewH6iJMtS0
www.hamilton.ca/wastewaterbypass
www.hamilton.ca/sewersystem