Sherbrooke deals with illegal wastewater connections

Sherbrooke’s Water Management and Construction Division submitted its report on research and corrections to illicit water main connections in 2017.

Difficult to locate, illegal connections divert sewage from homes or other buildings into streams and rivers rather than to sewers, resulting in pollution that can then disrupt water activities.

According to a press release issued by the city, it is thanks to a $150,000 budget increase that the Division was able to proceed with the hiring of an additional resource person mandated to follow up on files and make more repairs. As a result, 126 connections were verified this year whereas in the past it was difficult to reach more than 45. Of these, 33 illegal connections have been corrected so they are now compliant. In one, more notable case, it was found that Sherbrooke’s Maison de l’eau natural science centre in Lucien-blanchard park was dumping wastewater directly next to the park’s public beach.

The City Council plans to renew the $150,000 in funding for this year and the next, at least.

The number of illegal connections in Sherbrooke is estimated to be a few hundred. The work carried out so far year has made it possible to settle some known problems in the Magog River, upstream from the Lac des Nations.