River contamination problems seem unending

As the City of Winnipeg attempts to move forward with sewage treatment by revamping the 100-year-old north end sewage treatment plant, it has announced that it will cease ultraviolet treatment, which is the final stage in reducing bacteria and viruses before release. This will result in sewage with fecal coliform counts several times higher than acceptable levels being discharged into the Red River near the Kildonan golf course from this October until February 2026.

According to director of water and waste Tim Shanks, due to the physical nature of the plant upgrade, this is the best option both in terms of cost and impact on the environment. In an attempt at transparency, the city has loosened its communications stranglehold on officials, allowing Shanks to defend his department. He has made it clear that nobody wants to increase coliform and the folks working on the city’s woeful sewage problems are trying to make the community a better place, not trying to cut corners or disrespect the environment.

Alternatives to cutting UV such as chlorination followed by dechlorination would cost up to $8 million and would not adequately meet disinfection requirements. UV treatment has only been in effect since 2006, and this temporary cessation would return discharges to those levels. The province has altered the city’s licence to allow this compromised disinfection, but with some very specific contingency planning. Equipment must be pre-purchased, financial penalties will be levied on the contractor if this window of time is exceeded and double shift work is to be implemented if necessary. Communities downstream will be notified not to make contact with the water and signage is to be installed within three kilometres of the discharge site. Grab sampling and public reporting will be required.

These measures make it clear the province has shortened the leash on city sewer activities and it is no wonder why. Taken on its own, this interruption in treating sewage could be looked upon as a one-off which will improve the system, however, in conjunction with pump failures and combined sewer overflows, it displays a low regard for our urban environment. Alexis Kanu, executive director of the Lake Winnipeg Foundation, considers the city’s approach incredibly disrespectful to a living waterway. The city continues to demonstrate that our rivers are the only recourse when pipes fail or construction occurs.

It has been well over a year since city’s 220-million litre spill at the Abinojii bridge, and provincial Environment Minister Mike Moyes continues to have no comment as court proceedings drag on. The federal government, which also opened an investigation into the spill and has laid a charge under the Fisheries Act, refuses to comment. The two levels of government whose laws are set to protect our environment are also the ones that should be providing the financial backing to ensure the infrastructure is robust enough to protect our waterways. The irony is that if the province and federal government levy financial penalties for the city’s polluting ways, they are drawing from the meagre municipal pot which they themselves should be replenishing. As a result, the city will likely get a slap on the wrist.

There are very few heavy rainfalls where the city’s combined sewers aren’t overwhelmed. As recently as early October, yet another spill of 2.5-million litres of diluted wastewater wound up in the river, spilled from the Mayfair lift station. A power failure caused officials to return to the yard for a portable generator, which proceeded to malfunction. When prodded about the condition of equipment and proximity to the site, Shanks agreed it was a fair criticism but offered no solutions.

We can only expect more torrential downfalls as our climate continues to change. This is a problem that begs for a solution to avoid using our rivers as a last resort as separating our combined sewers is still decades away. Choices cannot be limited to flooded basements or polluted rivers.

Citizens are starting to feel the pinch from years of “borrowing from Peter to pay Paul,” which has left little in our waste and water coffers and has resulted in a substantial increase in rates. Although not yet finalized, a cost sharing agreement would see the province and feds ante up to share the cost for this stage of the north end treatment project but no plan has been made to scrape up the $2 billion required to complete it.

Meaningful long-term secure financing from the upper levels of government would relieve our municipality of having to scrounge to complete essential public works. Our rivers and lakes hold an incomparable value to Manitobans and deserve a plan that would avoid relying on them as a back-up to a system that is perpetually in disrepair.

Dave Taylor has drawn attention to the pollution of rivers in Manitoba for several decades and is a regular contributor to the Free Press. Visit his blog at https://wpgsewage.wordpress.com