Significant Rainfall Causes Temporary Partial Bypass at the Wastewater Treatment Plant

UPDATE: The temporary partial bypass is over as of 3:25 p.m. Anyone using water from the Otonabee river downstream of the City of Peterborough Wasterwater Treatment Plant should exercise caution for the next 24 hours.

The City of Peterborough issued a statement saying significant rainfall has caused a temporary partial bypass at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday has caused a significantly increased volume of water to enter the Wastewater Treatment Plant. As a result of the current conditions, the City of Peterborough Wastewater Treatment Plant has had to start a temporary, partial bypass.

This means that some partially treated sewage is being discharged to the Otonabee River.

Residents downstream of the City of Peterborough who draw water from the river are advised to take necessary precautions and boil water. The boil water advisory does not affect the City of Peterborough.

The City of Peterborough asks residents to reduce water consumption to help alleviate the volume of water flowing through the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. Residents can reduce their water consumption by taking short showers instead of baths, limiting or delaying loads of laundry and turning off taps while brushing teeth and doing dishes.

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Residents Asked To Temporarily Reduce Water Consumption

The ongoing rainfall and snowmelt is causing a significantly increased volume of water to enter the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Sewage Pumping Stations, the City of Peterborough says in a media release.

As a result of the current conditions, the Wastewater Treatment plant is in secondary by-pass mode, which means that effluent leaving the plant has received the initial cleaning treatment but has not received the final polishing treatment. In addition, the Park Street Pumping Station is in by-pass mode, which means that some raw sewage is entering the Otonabee River.

As such, property owners downstream of Peterborough who use private systems to draw water from the river are advised to take precautions and boil water. City of Peterborough residents are not required to boil water, as the municipal drinking water system is not impacted.

File photo

The City of Peterborough is asking residents to reduce water consumption to help alleviate the volume of water flowing through the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and Sewage Pumping Stations.

Residents can reduce their water consumption by taking short showers instead of baths, limiting or delaying loads of laundry, limiting or delaying dishwasher use, and turning off taps while brushing teeth and doing dishes.

In addition, area residents are reminded of the dangerous conditions posed by the wet ground and fast flowing water, and are advised to stay well back of the shorelines of area lakes, rivers and streams. Similarly, residents are asked to remain away from dam structures and piers.

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