City blames 2024 weather for huge spike in raw sewage spilled into rivers

Combined sewer overflows spilled nearly 12.2 billion litres of diluted raw sewage into Winnipeg rivers last year.

The amount is more than double the 5.4 billion litres dumped into local waters in 2023, an increase the city blames on wet weather.

“The amount of CSO discharged is heavily correlated to weather. Because 2023 was a significantly drier year, the above average rainfall and river levels in 2024 resulted in the increased discharge,” writes Cynthia Wiebe, Winnipeg water and waste’s manager of engineering services, in a new report.

Aging combined sewers serve about one-third of Winnipeg, collecting both precipitation and waste water in a single pipe. Heavy rain or snow can cause the pipes to overflow.

The city counted 1,332 such overflows last year.

Coun. Brian Mayes, a former chairman and current member of city council’s water and waste committee, said the massive volume of sewage spilled last year underlines why the city should pick up the pace on its master plan to reduce the overflows.

“This is big-ticket, citywide stuff with an environmental cost, so I think we really owe it to future generations to get going,” said Mayes (St. Vital).

The city is working on a $1.15-billion to $2.3-billion master plan to reduce combined sewer overflows but the work is expected to take decades to complete.

The municipal government increased annual spending on the project to $45 million from $30 million between 2024 and 2027 to help speed up the work.

The city’s annual report on the combined sewer overflow reduction plan notes it would take until 2095 to complete the master plan, if the city alone spends $30 million on it each year.

“We’ve got to pick up the pace here, if we’re going to even come close,” said Mayes.

Mayor Scott Gillingham stressed the city is already making a large investment in the project and likely can’t afford to increase it. The mayor noted a $3-billion upgrade to the North End sewage treatment plant has been deemed a higher priority and is expected to keep more pollution out of local waterways.

“We only have so many dollars to invest. Right now, the greatest priority is the North End (plant) and making an investment there. That, in fact, is going to (give you) a greater impact in reducing the nutrient loading to the rivers and lakes,” said Gillingham.

If the city opted to increase spending to reduce combined sewer overflows, it would need to charge higher sewer and water rates to pay for it, said Coun. Ross Eadie, chairman of water and waste.

“Should we be collecting a lot more on the sewer rates for the CSO (reduction)? That will be the debate…. Right now, I think the program is moving along OK,” said Eadie (Mynarski).

A request to interview a Winnipeg water and waste official about the report was not granted Monday. In an email, a spokesperson noted the provincial deadline to finish the master plan to reduce combined sewer overflows is still set for 2045.

“There is no new funding coming from other levels of government at this time,” wrote Lisa Marquardson.

The city’s CSO reduction plan aims to ultimately capture 85 per cent of overflow volume in a baseline year, while the city reached a 77 per cent capture rate last year, according to the report.

The city has spent $123 million to reduce combined sewer overflows since 2019.

Meanwhile, the city now expects to spend millions of dollars more on the permanent repair of a pipe failure that dumped 228 million litres of raw sewage into the Red River last year.

Previous estimates suggested the project would cost about $20 million overall. A new report notes the key contract for the job is now expected to cost nearly $27 million.

The report blames the price hike on the complex project’s requirement for highly specialized contractors and equipment, a lack of qualified local contractors and an accelerated schedule.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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