2022 was a better year in terms of sewage bypass incidents in Hamilton compared to the five year average. When there is heavy rainfall the volume of water is sometimes greater than the Woodward Wastewater Plant can handle and it becomes necessary to discharge wastewater into the environment that is either untreated or not fully treated. Since the significant upgrades to the Woodward facility have been completed there have been fewer occasions when wastewater ended up in the bay without some form of treatment.
In 2022 there were 1.6 billion liters of wastewater discharged, which is below the five -year average of over 2 billion litres. There were 11 bypasses reported in 2022 which is the lowest number of incidents in the past five years.
A staff report says most bypass events since 2012 have been secondary bypasses which means the wastewater receives some treatment in the form of aeration and secondary clarification. Bypasses also receive chlorine disinfection between May 15 and October 15. All bypass events are reported to the Provincial Environment Ministry.
Approximately a third of Hamilton’s sewage system is combined—where stormwater and wastewater use the same pipes. Most of that construction is in the lower city. Last summer staff submitted a report to the outgoing council that said fixing the problem will cost over $1 Billion over the next two decades. They are expected to present a recommendation to council for scheduling the expensive retrofit. The report warned that failure to eventually upgrade Hamilton’s wastewater system could result in the Provincial Environment Ministry denying or delaying environmental approvals for new growth. Hamilton’s population is expected to grow past 800,000 by 2050. The report suggested there was a need to rebuild trust with the ministry in the wake of the massive spill in 2018. Hamilton has spent over $600 million upgrading the Woodward Treatment Plan, but the $1 Billion pertains to the pipes that feed Woodward.
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