Repairs at Skyway (Burlington) WWTP

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,894
215
63
The Beach Strip
#1
May 9, 2008

Necessary repairs at Skyway WWTP result in temporary beach and road closure


As a result of construction work in the area, a pipe that carries treated water from the Skyway Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to Hamilton Harbour was damaged. The water is currently contained within the area and no disruption of wastewater treatment services to residents is expected.

In order to make the necessary repairs, Halton Region will have to temporarily divert the flow of treated water into Lake Ontario. The Ministry of Transportation has closed the section of East Service Road adjacent to the Skyway WWTP, where the damaged pipe is located.

“Operations staff have been and will continue to provide 24 hour monitoring on site,” said Kiyoshi Oka, Director of Halton’s Environmental Services. “It is important to note that the water has been fully treated and disinfected and all efforts are being made to ensure the repair is done as safely and quickly as possible.”

No adverse environmental impacts are anticipated and all appropriate agencies including the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation Halton and the City of Burlington have been notified and will be kept informed.

As a precautionary measure, the Halton Region Health Department will be closing the Burlington Beachway until after the repairs are completed. The Health Department will also be monitoring the water quality.

“We are asking residents to avoid swimming and to keep their dogs out of the water until further notice,” said Dr. Bob Nosal, Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health. “We want to assure the public that the beach closure is a precaution and the risk is of illness is very low.”

In order to make the necessary repairs, a temporary diversion will be in place underneath Lakeshore Road and across the beach to direct the treated water to the lake, for a period of up to a week. Portable diesel pumping equipment is currently being set up at Skyway WWTP to accommodate the diversion, residents and visitors to the area will likely hear increased noise due to the pumps.

Based on current estimates and forecasted weather conditions, it is anticipated the repair work will begin on Monday, May 12th and should be completed by Friday, May 16. For more information on the progress of the repair work, please contact Halton Region at 905-825-6000.

The Regional Municipality of Halton serves more than 430,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and planning; emergency medical services; waste management; public health; Ontario Works (formerly social assistance); children’s and seniors’ services; social/non-profit housing; heritage programs; emergency management and business development. For more information, visit Halton Region’s website at www.halton.ca.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,894
215
63
The Beach Strip
#2
Punctured pipe causes diversion

Posted with permission from the Hamilton Spectator.
___________________________________________

May 15, 2008
Rob Faulkner
The Hamilton Spectator
(May 15, 2008)
It's not every day you see large pipes running from a sewage plant, across a sandy beach and into Lake Ontario, beside new signs warning "beach closed" due to possible high bacteria levels.

But that's what Scott Ballard saw on a recent daily walk on the Burlington side of the Burlington Canal lift bridge. He snapped some photos, and got curious, you might say suspicious.

"It's funny. We walk the beach, and I said to my wife, 'What do you think the trucks are with all the pipes on them?' " said the Burlington man, more used to photographing sunrises at the beach.

"A couple days later, the pipes are there, there are people and they are pumping water into the lake. ... And (beach closed) signs are from the lift bridge all the way down. You shake your head and think this must be pretty serious stuff."

That's the scene this week, as Halton Region is diverting treated, disinfected wastewater from its usual destination in Hamilton Harbour to Lake Ontario after an underground pipe was punctured.

"The bottom line for us is that we are not anticipating any adverse environmental impact," said Kiyoshi Oka, director of Halton's environmental services.

But it's been enough to raise eyebrows, as Halton's health department posts beach-closed signs. It did so as a precaution because the temporary pipes from the Skyway Wastewater Treatment Plant are now emptying into a shallow part of the lake.

Halton had to divert the discharge after a contractor installing a Ministry of Transportation road sign on East Service Road damaged the normal, underground pipe to the harbour.

To do repairs on the broken pipe this week, Halton had to lay temporary pipes under Lakeshore Road, across the beach and into the lake. Repairs will likely finish tomorrow.

Halton health staff warn people and pets to stay out of the water at Beachway Park, even if the risk of illness is very low. Environmental health supervisor Paul Burgher said lake water tests before the diversion found E. coli levels high but safe for swimming.

He's waiting for test results to see how the discharge -- already cleaner than the lake -- changed the beach water quality.

"(Beach closure) was done as a precaution. Nobody is swimming at this time of year anyway, but maybe someone with a dog may wander into the water," he said.

"Usually when it is discharged into Hamilton Harbour, it's way out in the harbour, so you get more mixing and it is dispersed. Now, it is at a more shallow area of the beach, so the mixing is not as great."

The MTO has closed part of East Service Road near the water plant during repairs. Halton informed the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation Halton and the City of Burlington.

The temporary diversion from the Lakeshore Road plant is using diesel pumps to move water. The plant discharges about 170 million litres a day, the equivalent of 68 Olympic swimming pools.

rfaulkner@thespec.com

905-526-2468
 
Top Bottom