Jones: Asks the Minister of Environment to Release Number of Sewage Bypasses in 2017

(Queen’s Park) – Today, Sylvia Jones, MPP Dufferin-Caledon asked the Minister of Environment to release how many sewage bypasses have occurred so far in 2017.

“This summer we witnessed historic rainfalls across Ontario. Many communities experienced flooding and often municipal sewer systems were overwhelmed,” Jones said     

“In 2016 municipalities were forced to bypass more than 6.5 billion litres of partially treated sewage into local waterways,” Jones said.

“This information highlights the importance of my proposed legislation, Bill 141: The Sewage Bypass Reporting Act, 2017, which will require the Ministry of Environment to publish when and how much sewage is bypassed so that the public can be aware of potential health risks when using local waterways,” Jones said.

“Currently, there is no requirement for public reporting when a bypass occurs, despite municipalities already reporting to the Ministry when they are forced to bypass. The Ministry won’t share with Ontarians when partially treated sewage is in their local waterways,” Jones said.

“In response to my call for public reporting, the Minister was unable to share with Ontarians the number of sewage bypasses reported to his Ministry in 2017,” Jones said.               

“Municipalities and conservation authorities across Ontario have supported the call for the Ministry to report sewage bypasses,” Jones said.

Video of MPP Jones’ question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3YP_AqdArw