Record rainfall sends raw sewage flowing into the Ottawa River
The record rainfall that soaked Ottawa last Friday sent more raw sewage overflowing into the Ottawa River.
Environment Canada reported 45.5 mm of rain was recorded at the Ottawa Airport on Aug. 9, while 75.8 mm of rain fell at Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm and 83 mm of rain was recorded in Gatineau, Que.
Statistics on the City of Ottawa's website show 155,700 litres of storm water and wastewater overflowed the sewage system and into the Ottawa River on Friday.
Ottawa Public Health issued no swimming advisories at Mooney's Bay Beach and Petrie Island Beaches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday due to high levels of e.coli in the water.
It's the sixth combined sewage overflow reported by the City of Ottawa so far this summer. A total of 51.6 million litres of raw sewage has overflowed the city's sewage system and into the water so far this summer.
The biggest sewage overflow was on June 6, when Ottawa received 44.1 mm of rain. The city's website says 50.1 million litres of combined overflow mixture overflowed the system and into the Ottawa River.
On July 24, when Ottawa received 32 mm of rain, a total of 410,000 litres of raw sewage overflowed the system and into the Ottawa River.
Photo courtesy City of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa built the Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel, designed to intercept and store surface runoff and wastewater until it can be treated at the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre and then returned to the Ottawa River. The $232 million project includes six kilometres of tunnels underground designed to stop sewage from flowing into the river during heavy rainfall events.
The underground Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel includes two tunnels: an east-west tunnel through the downtown core from LeBreton Flats to New Edinburgh Park, and a north-south tunnel along Kent Street from Chamberlain Avenue to existing infrastructure behind the Supreme Court of Canada building.
The city reported 11 sewage overflow events in 2023, with 464 million litres of raw sewage overflowing the sewage system. On Aug 10, 2023, 316 million litres of untreated water overflowed the system following heavy rain.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole Porsche and ran over its owner
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Woman nearly shut out of mother's estate sues brother in B.C. Supreme Court – and wins
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Woman shot by B.C. police was Colombian refugee with young daughter, advocate says
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
3 injured after man with knife enters Montreal-area mosque
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Kamala Harris tells Oprah any intruder to her home is 'getting shot'
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a warning to any potential home intruder: 'If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot.'
Teen arrested in New Brunswick after emergency alert; 5 people in custody
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
On the trail of the mystery woman whose company licensed exploding pagers
What Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, 49, the Italian-Hungarian CEO and owner of Hungary-based BAC Consulting, says she hasn't done is make the exploding pagers that killed 12 people and wounded more than 2,000 in Lebanon this week.
'We're still pushing hard': Search for missing Manitoba boy continues, RCMP find tracks
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
Video released of person of interest after cat is allegedly set on fire in Orillia, Ont.
Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.