Osprey Media - Welland Tribune - Print Version

Residents should be informed of sewage dumping: councillor

JOHN ROBBINS

Monday, January 08, 2007 - 09:00

Local News - Residents and public health officials should be informed when the town is forced to dump sewage into Lake Erie at a private bathing beach, a Fort Erie councillor says.

"This should be seen as a best practice," said Coun. Ann-Marie Noyes, who has given notice to her fellow councillors she intends to bring a resolution forward at the first council meeting of the new year requiring public notification.

"I know that if I was a resident or user of that particular beach on a regular basis I would want to know when sewage is being dumped, so I could make my own decisions regarding my usage of the beach or the water."

On at least 31 occasions during the past 10 years, the town pumped sewage into May's Creek, a shallow outlet to Lake Erie for the Kraft Drain.

Dumping occurs when periods of heavy rain or rapidly melting snow threatens to overwhelm sanitary sewers in the town's Crescent Park neighbourhood causing basement flooding.

The practice dates back more than 30 years, but no records of dumping are available before 1996.

On six occasions, sewage was dumped into the lake during swimming season, which generally runs from May 24 to Labour Day.

The town reports dumping incidents - which are known as treatment bypass events - to Ontario's Ministry of the Environment.

However, Ontario law does not require municipalities to inform the public or the regional medical officer of health when the excess sewage - essentially storm water mixed with human and household waste - is released into surface waters.

Noyes, a councillor for nine years, said most residents probably aren't aware the town occasionally dumps sewage into May's Creek, which flows into Lake Erie near Kraft Road.

Noyes said she herself wasn't aware of the frequency of dumping or quantity of sewage being pumped into the lake until she read about it in a series of articles published during the past two months.

Warning people is only one reason why Noyes wants residents informed when sewage is discharged.

"No one wants sewage backing into basements, but dumping it into the lake can't be the only alternative," said Noyes. "I'm hoping (notifying the public) will shine a spotlight on this practice ... and leads to a real solution."

Noyes' motion is scheduled for debate at council's Jan. 15 meeting. Ron Tripp, the town's director of infrastructure services, said he has yet to formulate recommendations for council on this issue.

However, Tripp said he believes any policy that involves notifying residents and the health department should be co-ordinated with Regional Niagara and other Niagara municipalities, which discharge sewage into watercourses.
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