U.S. has $27-million plan to protect Niagara River
The Niagara Falls, N.Y., Water Board says it is spending US$27 million to eliminate untreated sewage from being discharged into the Niagara River.
Following heavy rains last week, over two days nearly 29 million litres of untreated sewage, rainwater runoff and industrial wastewater overflowed into the river from Niagara Falls,
N.Y., after its water treatment system was overwhelmed
About the same time, at least 12 million litres of partially treated sewage was discharged from the Niagara Region system on this side of the border into the Niagara Falls hydro canal, for the same reason.
“We’ve been on this issue for a couple of years, including trying to say to New York state and the board that it’s unacceptable to be dumping raw sewage into our river,” said Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates, who complained publicly about the pollution.
“What’s good is they are acknowledging that we are raising the issue. It sounds like they’re glad that we are and they’re hoping more politicians will raise the issue so we can get this thing fixed.”
Discharges of untreated or partially treated water from both sides of the border has been a problem for years.
In Niagara Falls, N.Y., last July, an operator error at a sedimentation basin led to a dark, foulsmelling discharge turning the water black around the Maid of the Mist docks.
The city’s water board was fined $50,000 by the state, and it upgraded equipment to avoid future similar accidents.
Last month, Maid of the Mist passengers again reported seeing rancid-looking water around the path of the tour boat, which was another incident of overflow storm water.
The Niagara Gazette newspaper, based in Niagara Falls, N.Y., reported this week that between May 2016 and August 2017 about a half-billion gallons of untreated sewage was discharged by the pollution control system there.
On the Canadian side, in May 2017 when rainfall for the month was about seven times heavier than normal, the Region’s system expelled a billion litres in overflow water.
That’s nearly half of what would typically be discharged during an entire year.
Niagara Falls, N.Y.’s $27-million commitment to upgrade infrastructure as part of a nearterm plan, in conjunction with the state.
Gates said New York state appears to be more serious about stopping water pollution than the former Ontario Liberal government was.
“It affects our parks, the fish … everybody should be very concerned when we’re using our water systems as dumps,” Gates said.
“The next big thing in this world is we’re going to be fighting over clean water.”