Halifax Water to divert millions of cubic metres of wastewater into Halifax harbour

Halifax Water has announced that they will be diverting a significant amount of wastewater into Halifax harbour and the Bedford Basin in the upcoming week due to maintenance work at their treatment facilities. This decision comes as the utility needs to replace UV lighting equipment at their facilities in Halifax and Dartmouth, leading to temporary shutdowns at both locations.

Brittany Smith, senior communications adviser for Halifax Water, explained that the current system does not allow for diverting wastewater to other locations, hence the need to release it into the harbour. The maintenance work at the Halifax facility is set to begin on Monday and is expected to last around five days. This project will result in approximately 2,000,000 cubic metres of wastewater being released into the harbour from 14 approved relief points spanning from the Fairview neighbourhood to downtown Halifax.

Residents in the affected areas are advised to refrain from swimming or having contact with the water during this time. Halifax Water is also urging residents to conserve water by reducing their use of running water, including flushing toilets less frequently and minimizing the use of washing machines.

Maintenance work at the Dartmouth facility is scheduled to commence on April 28 and is anticipated to last for four weeks. Approximately 4,000,000 cubic metres of wastewater will be diverted into the harbour from 11 locations between the MacKay Bridge and Eastern Passage. Residents in this area will also be asked to conserve water during this period, with Halifax Water promising to provide more information on the specific timing of the work prior to its start date.

While Halifax Water regularly diverts wastewater into the harbour for maintenance purposes, the volume being released this time is significantly higher due to the complete shutdown of the treatment facilities. Smith noted that the utility has released up to 500,000 cubic metres of wastewater into the harbour on two occasions since last September, but has never released as much as the planned amount for the upcoming week.

This annual maintenance practice is necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the treatment facilities and to maintain water quality standards in the region. Halifax Water is committed to minimizing the impact of this temporary diversion on the environment and is working diligently to complete the maintenance work as efficiently as possible.