KAWARTHA LAKES-The City of Kawartha Lakes has agreed to pay $75,000 after charges were laid against the municipality under the Fisheries Act.
On Thursday the Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes entered into a diversion agreement with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada after Environment and Climate Change Canada laid charges under the Fisheries Act. The agreement requires the city to pay $75,000 to the Environmental Damages Fund; update their standard operating procedures for drain works; and publish a notice of the incident on the city’s website according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The City says the charges were withdrawn once all measures outlined in the diversion agreement were met, as determined by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.
In August 2014, a city-hired contractor carried out maintenance work on the Washington Drain. The work resulted in a sediment release into the fish-bearing waterway. Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers investigated the incident and determined that the sediment concentrations released during the work were deleterious to fish. It was also determined that the work was undertaken without taking adequate steps to mitigate the release of sediments into the waterway. It’s unclear which waterway this relates to.
Here’s what the City says happened, “The work, which was done in accordance with a permit issued by the Kawartha Region Conservation Authority, involved the removal of vegetation, silt accumulation, and several beaver dams. This work resulted in silt/sediment being released into that drain when one of the City’s silt controls failed, which in turn resulted in the death of fish. The City regrets any negative impact to the environment and has taken several proactive steps to continue responsible stewardship of our land and water.”
This isn’t the only time the City has had trouble with the waterways. In December 2018 the Health Unit has issued a warning to residents after 126,000 litres of raw sewage was released into the Scugog River today.
The warning was made after a sewage spill occurred at the Colborne Street pumping station. The spill reportedly occurred at 10:30 am today and was contained within 20 minutes according to the Health Unit. The Spills Action Centre was notified at approximatley 1pm and the Health Unit later that afternoon. It’s unlcear what caused the delay in notifying the appropriate authorities and the Health Unit. We are waiting to hear back from the City.
Officials are encouraging residents who draw their water from Scugog River to ensure they use a proper filtration and disinfection system before drinking the water.
Richard Ovcharovich, Manager, Environmental Health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit told Kawartha 411 on Wednesay that this should never happen. “Spills like this are not common and not insignificant.” The impact of this spill on the water quality would be minimal given the dispersion rate but that residents living downstream from the pumping station should be aware of the spill and take precautions according to the Health Unit. He also recommends that anyone drawing their water from any lakes or rivers, including Scugog River, should ensure they have a proper treatment system with filtration and disinfection to make sure their water is safe.
“Surface water can be contaminated by viruses, bacteria or parasites that can cause illness,” he said. “It’s important to treat the water before drinking or using the water to be sure it is safe.”
The City of Kawartha Lakes is investigating the cause of the sewage bypass. Ovcahrovich says he was told a contractor, working on behalf of the City was working on the sewer and tried to bypass the line in order to be able to complete the work. He says the bypass didn’t hold.
Currently, all pumps at the pumping station are working.
The City says they have made the following changes in relation to the 2014 incident, “As a result of the 2014 incident, Kawartha Lakes has made changes to the way it looks after drains and reduce the possibility for sediment to escape into the surrounding environment. The municipality has also funded Kawartha Conservation’s update to the Drain Maintenance Classification System which will better ensure protection of fisheries by way of more accurate identification. It will also work closely with its Conservation Authorities to ensure permits provide additional clarity on sedimentation and erosion control requirements
