Ontario environment ministry charges City of Hamilton after 2 sewage spills
Posted December 2, 2024 2:53 pm.
The City of Hamilton is being charged by the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) in connection with two sewage spills.
The details aren’t yet known, but City of Hamilton officials said in a news release on Monday the charges will be presented to city council at a meeting on Wednesday.
“As this matter is before the courts and to respect this process, the City will not be providing further comment at this time,” it added.
The first spill was discovered on Nov. 22, 2022 in the Wentworth Avenue North and Burlington Street East area, while the second was found on Jan. 9, 2023, in the Rutherford and Myrtle avenues area.
The City of Hamilton said it “proactively informed the community” about both spills when the incidents were first discovered.
The first spill was discovered when maintenance staff inadvertently found a hole in a combined sewer pipe that discharged into Hamilton Harbour.
An investigation revealed that sewage from about 50 properties in the Burlington Street and Wentworth Street North area leaked into the harbour since 1996.
The discovery prompted a series of inspections, which revealed the second leak.
