An investigation into a leak that poured Hamilton’s sewage into Lake Ontario for 26 years has revealed another pipe also dumped waste into the water for the same period of time.
The newly discovered leak was discovered Saturday at Rutherford and Myrtle avenues, city officials said in a news release Monday.
The city says the root of the leak dates back 26 years.
Since 1996, as many as 11 residential properties have discharged sanitary waste water into Hamilton Harbour. That same year, a newly constructed storm sewer connected to a 100-year-old combined sewer pipe, according to a preliminary investigation.
Since then, the wastewater has been discharged into a storm sewer leading to the harbor.
At this time, the city says it’s unclear how much waste was dumped, but the exact volume will be made public when the assessment is complete.
That inspection was prompted by a similar discovery on November 22. A leak was discovered caused by a hole in a combined sewer pipe. Which means about 50 Hamiltonians have been flushing sewage into Hamilton Harbor for 26 years.
During this period, about 337 million liters of waste were released into the harbor and the repairs are expected to cost $29,830.
Meanwhile, while a “permanent solution” is determined for the spill discovered Saturday, the city says a vacuum truck has been mobilized to stop further dumping into the harbor.
The recent spills followed the release of 24 billion liters of sewage into Cherdoke Creek in 2018. Recovery efforts are ongoing.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Abby O’Brien.
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