City reports second wastewater overflow into Hamilton Harbour this month

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Published December 16, 2019 at 2:39 pm

On Saturday (Dec. 14), the City of Hamilton reported that the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant entered bypass mode.

On Saturday (Dec. 14), the City of Hamilton reported that the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant entered bypass mode.

Bypasses occur in extreme wet weather when the amount of wastewater entering the sewer system exceeds the capacity of the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant. When the system is overburdened, partially treated wastewater overflows  into Hamilton Harbour

Last month, Hamilton City Council approved an enhanced public notification protocol for bypasses at the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Saturday’s wet weather and melting snow exceeded the capacity of the treatment plant. The bypass event ended late Saturday evening.

This is the second bypass to occur since the City’s new enhanced public notification protocol came into effect last month.

It’s also the second bypass this month.

The first occurred on Dec. 1 where similar weather conditions overwhelmed the system and 78 million litres of partially treated wastewater overflowed into Hamilton Harbour.

The City currently has nine large storage tanks in strategic locations to hold excess water during heavy rainfall or snowmelt.

These combined sewer overflow tanks hold more than 314,000 cubic metres of diluted wastewater.

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