Longueuil raw sewage dump ends days early

The City of Longueuil has stopped dumping raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River, three and a half days before the planned release was expected to end. Longueuil announced on Nov. 1 that it would have to flush about 162-million litres of untreated waste water into the river for a period of eight days, starting Nov. 15. The operation was necessary to facilitate the replacement of two sections of a sewage pipe that carries effluent from homes and businesses in Longueuil and Boucherville to a water-treatment plant on Île Charron. In a statement released Monday evening, the city confirmed the dumping operation was over, and the Lafrance water-treatment plant was up and running again, three and a half days earlier than expected. The operation went faster than expected due to “rigorous planning, no surprise hitches during the work and an impeccable execution by teams that rallied day and night at the work site.” The underwater work was executed by scuba divers, working in shifts, around the clock. The city said it will continue to closely monitor water quality, taking samples for analysis in 20 locations in coming days. Over the next few days, workers will finish the job, which includes sealing the joints, repairing the water pipes, cleanup, removal of the platforms, inspection and cleaning of the shoreline, if necessary. The work has had no effect on drinking water, the city said, although it did warn the public to avoid any contact with the river between Îles de Boucherville and the mainland. An official notice will be posted on the City of Longueuil’s website as soon as the directive to avoid contact with the river is lifted. The city had also requested that the public and businesses limit their water use to reduce the quantity of waste water that would have to be dumped. The estimated cost of this operation was $700,000.