Water Quality Issues in Toronto

Toronto is faced with many water quality issues, creating lasting impacts for residents and wildlife alike. Familiarize yourself the water quality issues and the perspective problems Toronto faces in their waterways.

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)

  • In Toronto, there are 80 combined sewers that discharge into local rivers and streams with 34 of those outfalls flowing directly into Lake Ontario. These outfalls generally discharge when there is a large precipitation event or when the sewer system is overwhelmed and needs to divert some water away from wastewater treatment plants or holding tanks. Due to the age of the system and increased population densities in cities where combined sewers exist, the system is frequently overwhelmed and rarely works as intended.

  • There are ways to mitigate the impact CSOs have on waterways 1) infrastructure improvements 2) Monitoring effluent entering the waterways and 3) data transparency.

    You can learn more and see some suggested individual actions here!

  • Swim Drink Fish provides monitoring in high-risk areas to help recreators make informed decisions prior to entering the waterways.

  • In Toronto, The Wet Weather Flow Master Plan (WWFMP) has been made and is beginning to be implemented that aims to address the issue of CSOs in the city. Although this plan will eventually address many of the areas that are heavily impacted by CSOs, it has been slow to come to fruition and does not consider CSOs in the West end of the city which currently deposits effluent into Lake Ontario, at some of the highest reported rates in the country

Climate Change

  • Climate Change is affecting Toronto’s Harbour by causing inconsistent and extreme changes in water levels, increased frequency and intensity of wet weather events, and rising water temperature. These issues lead to expedited shoreline degradation, local flooding, and increased sewage pollution events, all of which affect people’s ability to access and enjoy the water. Wildlife is also affected by the effects of climate change through an increase in invasive species and decreased water quality.

  • Reduce your greenhouse gas footprint: Although the most commonly cited way to reduce your greenhouse gas footprint is by driving less frequently, there are many ways to do so. Eating locally reduces the carbon needed for the transportation of foods, eating a plant-based diet reduces harmful methane gasses caused by red meats, and think about skipping a plane on your next vacation and instead taking it closer to home.

    Support restoration and protection of carbon-rich areas: some ecosystems remove and store a lot of harmful greenhouse gases. We must cherish those ecosystems, as they help reduce the effects of climate change. Great ways to do this are to restore the degraded ecosystems back to their natural state and to protect those that are intact.

    Monitor the health of your local ecosystem: monitoring the health of local ecosystems is a great way to determine how we need to help them adapt to climate change.

    Connect with the Outdoors: Spending time in the outdoors and encouraging others to do the same will create advocates for protecting it.

    Discover ways to help your community adapt: Many communities have climate change adaptation plans. Learn about the one in your community and give your input for this changing world.

  • Swim Drink Fish’s water monitoring will help track the effects of climate change in our waterways to help communities determine where best to focus their adaptation plans. Our water literacy work additionally helps community members connect with their waterways and become stewards of their own water bodies. Furthermore, our year-round sampling will be crucial when the season to interact with water becomes extended, filling in crucial holes left by the city of Toronto, as their sampling stops in early September.

  • Canadian Climate Institute: is Canada’s leading climate change policy research organization.

    Government of Canada’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050: Discusses the federal targets for emissions reductions

    Ontario’s Emissions Performance Standards: is the revised plan Ontario has put forth to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 ​​https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-5316#supporting-materials

    Canadian Climate Institute: is Canada’s leading climate change policy research organization.

Minimal Public Access to Beaches

  • Toronto currently has 10 official city beaches, a decrease from the 19 official beaches present in 1995, even though Toronto’s population has increased by 36% since 2001 (from 4.7 million to 6.4 million).

    Access to beaches is unequally distributed across demographics. The eight Toronto ‘Blue Flag’ beaches are located in the east end of the city and on the Toronto Islands. The west end of the city hosts the remaining two official beaches, which consistently fail to meet Toronto’s recreational water quality standard.

  • Access: increase access to the water by designating more official beaches in areas where there currently are none.

    Safety: increase the presence of lifeguards and other beach personnel to more times of the year to encourage people to use the beaches that currently exist.

    Transportation and Facilities: improve access to current beaches through better public transit options and have more facilities to support people who have to travel longer distances to get there (i.e. food options, bathrooms and showers open, etc.)

  • Swim Drink Fish monitors in under-monitored areas where people recreate but previously didn’t have access to water quality results. This helps support recreational water communities who don’t live or use the water at one of the official Toronto beaches and advocates for those areas to have more amenities available.

Litter and Floatables

  • Floatables are “any foreign matter that may float or remain suspended in the water column”. The most common type of floatable is plastic. Floatables are detrimental to habitat, wildlife, and recreation, and are prevalent along Toronto’s waterfront. Floatables are ubiquitous in the Inner Harbour where CSOs (a known major contributor to plastic pollution) happen.

    Floatables affect habitat, wildlife, and recreation in many ways. Wildlife can be negatively impacted by floating debris through entanglement, ingestion, and habitat loss. Plastics and debris are also ingested by humans and wildlife, which can lead to internal bleeding and digestive tract blockage. Floatables also include dangerous debris like syringes and jagged plastic fragments which have the potential to cause physical harm to water users. Additionally, floatables deteriorate the aesthetic quality of the water which can discourage its use for recreation/tourism.

  • Beach Clean-ups: We must act together to clean up our waterways. Whether you grab a couple of pieces of trash next time you are at the beach or join a shoreline cleanup, your impact can make a huge difference.

    Education: Increasing public awareness around waste and a circular economy will decrease the likelihood of people throwing their trash on the ground. For example, you can learn what you can and cannot flush down the toilet.

    Monitoring: Monitoring trash at beaches allows organizations or individuals to advocate for a cleaner city.

    More Trash Cans: If it is easy for people to throw away their trash, they will be more likely to dispose of it properly. Increasing trash cans is a great way to keep the beaches and waterways clean.

    Pocket Ashtrays: If you are a smoker, consider disposing of your butts using a pocket ashtray. Using one protects our city against fires, reduces litter, and keeps our waterways clean.

  • We monitor the litter at each water sampling site we visit. Collecting this data helps us identify the times of year that littering becomes the biggest problem, identifies when the sewer outflows cause sewage waste products on the shorelines, and allows us to advocate for healthy waterways. Volunteer with us to help monitor the shoreline in Toronto.

  • The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup organizes shoreline cleanups regularly.

    The U of T Trash Team increases literacy of material consumption to help communities decrease their waste.

    Surfrider Foundation’s plastic pollution campaign has resources to help you become a plastic activist, organize beach cleanups, and more!

    A Greener Future: This group conducts many clean-ups in and around the Toronto area to prevent litter in our waterways.

    Shoreline Revival Group: conduct clean-ups and other events to keep litter out of our waterways.

    The City of Toronto has various educational campaigns and strategies to reduce plastic pollution in our waterways.

Shoreline Alienation

  • In Toronto, many people hold the belief that Lake Ontario is heavily polluted and unswimmable. This belief is rooted in the lake’s historically poor water quality and inaccessible waterfront. Over the past decades, Toronto’s waterfront has been revitalized, and water quality has improved in some places, but still many are unaware of Toronto’s swimmable pockets.

  • Education: Sharing data and conducting educational programming can help inform people about how water quality has changed over time

    Lead by Demonstration: by going into the water and using it you are showing other people that it is okay to do so!

  • Swim Drink Fish uses our App the Swim Guide to provide up-to-date water quality information to provide the information people need to make an informed decision about where, when, and how they interact with the water.

    We also conduct water literacy workshops where we discuss the misconceptions communities have about the water in Toronto and encourage people to swim or use the waters in areas they are comfortable!

Poor Wildlife Habitat Quality

  • Within Toronto’s Inner Harbour, there is little suitable habitat for sensitive aquatic species. The majority of Toronto’s Inner Harbour is a hard, mostly concrete, shoreline. Hard shorelines do not provide suitable habitat for sensitive aquatic species or support species biodiversity and richness. The waters of the Toronto region are home to over 100 different warm and cool water fish species, yet, Toronto’s Inner Harbour mostly consists of invasives and pollution-tolerant species (e.g. Common Carp and zebra mussels).

    In previous years, the hub has seen a significant number of dead and injured animals across the harbour. This issue persists, and there is currently no plan to improve wildlife habitat quality along the shore.

  • Restore the shoreline: The United Nations has declared this decade to be the “Decade of Restoration”. Let’s take advantage of the momentum and restore Toronto‘s shoreline to its former glory.

    Monitor the species: Documenting the life present in our waterways is a great way to track invasive species as well as the sensitive species that may be still present. Bringing this information forward to governing bodies is a great way for them to prioritize initiatives like restoration. You can do this on your own using applications like iNaturalist!

    Reduce surrounding pollution: Risks to species such as habitat loss are amplified by additional pollution. Reducing other pollution will increase the likelihood of species survival in degraded habitats.

  • We monitor various locations along the shoreline weekly. As part of this monitoring work, we document the animals present. We pay special attention to invasive species, dead/ injured animals, and species at risk!

  • Toronto and Region Conservation Authority: the TRCA conducts many restoration projects that improve habitat for native species and help restore previously degraded ecosystems.

    Toronto Nature Stewards: conduct invasive species removal and native species planting to better the ecosystem for our native species helping restore degraded habitats.

Poor Aesthetics of Inner Harbour

  • Toronto’s Inner Harbour frequently has poor aesthetic qualities due to high amounts of debris and litter, poor water colour, and poor smell, which exacerbate the problems of alienation and stigmatization of Toronto’s waterfront as unswimmable. These problems have existed for many years and continue to be a problem today.

  • Identify the source: determine the source of debris and other pollutants that impact water color and smell and start implementing upstream solutions

    Clean-ups: conduct clean-ups to remove litter and debris from the water and the shoreline

    Monitoring: monitor the shoreline to determine areas that should be prioritized for clean-ups and other mitigation measures.

    Education: educate the public about where the pollution comes from and how they can prevent it (e.g. The Three P’s)

  • Swim Drink Fish monitors not only water quality but many other aesthetic parameters including the litter and debris we see on the shoreline and in the water, water color, and surface and water odor. By monitoring these each week we are able to rank our sites overall to determine their aesthetic value and make recommendations for areas that consistently rank very low.

  • The U of T Trash Team has installed many devices along the Toronto waterfront to help remove floatables from the water and aims to research upstream causes of this waste.