Swim Drink Fish Blog
Read the latest updates and news releases about community science, water monitoring, Artists for Water, and more.
“Flushable” items and pharmaceuticals aren't flushable after all, two new reports say
What to flush and what not to flush. Research shows that the answer is nothing except for toilet paper.
Swim Drink Fish submission for Ontario’s environment plan
Swim Drink Fish submitted comments to the Government of Ontario on its provincial environment plan. Read our six recommendations to the Government and our model policy for sewage spill public alerts.
Are Sewage Spill Alerts and Real-Time Monitoring Coming to Ontario?
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, a Swim Drink Fish Initiative, has yet to review the plan in its entirety, but understands through the summary on the registry that sewage spill alerts and real-time monitoring may be coming to Ontario communities. This action, is something Lake Ontario Waterkeeper has been calling for, for a long time. If the rules are clear and enforceable, it could be a crucial turning point for Great Lakes communities.
Environmental Commissioner urges the Ontario government to eliminate sewage pollution
Ontarians who care about clean water - which is basically everyone - got a show of support from the province’s independent environmental commissioner today. When Dianne Saxe released her third annual report this morning, she called on the province to do more to protect urban waters. An entire section of the Commissioner’s report examines combined sewage pollution in Ontario, mentioning the growing push for swimmable, drinkable, fishable water in Ontario.
Case closed(ish): Shutting the door on the Toronto sewage bypass alerts
As of fall 2017, we are declaring “Case Closed” on the Toronto sewage bypass alerts file. After years of requesting alerts, the city is now issuing public notifications for all sewage bypasses. Learn all about it here, and why there's still work to be done.
City of Toronto now sending out sewage bypass alerts
In July of 2014, Waterkeeper filed a request to the province to bring sewage bypass alerts to Toronto. As of this month, Toronto is finally sending out public notifications for bypasses.
New Sewer Monitoring Innovation Makes Kingston Leader in Protecting Public Health, Great Lakes — Media Release
Kingston, ONTARIO – Utilities Kingston’s new real-time sewer monitoring system, a first in Ontario, is now live. The system alerts residents when untreated sewage overflows from waterfront pipes into Lake Ontario. It uses technology developed by Utilities Kingston to meet the needs of people who swim or boat in the city.
Whatever happened to Toronto sewage alerts?
In August 2015, Waterkeeper announced that Toronto residents would soon receive alerts when wet weather sends sewage and stormwater into Lake Ontario. It’s now May 2017. It rained hard last week. Bacteria in the Toronto Harbour spiked. So what's happening? When can you expect to see those wet weather alerts?
Toronto Sewage Bypass Log
Until the City of Toronto begins to alert the public when a sewage bypass occurs, our Swimmable Water Ambassadors will call the Humber Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment plant for this information and share it here.
Waterkeeper's comments on the review of Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights and Regulations
Today, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper submitted comments to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario regarding the review of Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights. The EBR is a powerful piece of legislation that has been the cornerstone of Waterkeeper's provincial work to protect swimmable drinkable fishable water for over a decade. It is also a key tool for Ontarians to participate in environmental decision-making processes. Read our complete submission here.