The city of Hamilton has revealed some of the strangest objects that have made their way to wastewater treatment plants after being flushed down a toilet.
City officials say like many older North American municipalities, Hamilton is dealing with the issue of inappropriate items being sent down the toilet.
They say flushing items that are meant for the garbage can is leading to the damage of homes, neighbourhoods, the wastewater treatment system and the Hamilton Harbour.
The only materials that are properly treated and break down safely within the wastewater system are the three P’s – pee, poo and toilet paper.
When other items are flushed, such as feminine products, wipes, dental floss or even hair, they can create clogs in residential pipes, neighbourhood pipes and the wastewater system.
Workers at the Woodward Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant have encountered several odd objects that made their way through the sewer system.
Here’s a look at some of the strangest things that have been flushed down toilets in Hamilton.
- Diamond Ring
- Python
- False teeth
- Cash ($20 bill and half of a $5 bill)
- Toys
- Irish coin
- Photo ID
Water from sanitary sewers and combined sewers go through three treatment areas at the wastewater plant before it gets released into bodies of water like the Hamilton Harbour.
However, sometimes during heavy rainfall, the plant can’t handle the intense surplus of water and the city says it is forced to make a decision – let the sewage possibly back up into homes, or release it directly into the harbour.
Last week, an equipment failure at the wastewater treatment plant caused 48 million litres worth of raw sewage to be discharged directly into the Hamilton Harbour.
“The issue occurred in the screening area of the treatment plant – where two of the plant’s four bar screens failed and forced a temporary full plant bypass to avoid permanent damage to the facility and surrounding infrastructure,” said the City of Hamilton in a statement. “This was a very unusual circumstance and something the City has not experienced since 2015.”
When the city is forced to lift the screens that normally catch larger items, the objects – also known as floatables – are sent directly into the water.
Lynda Lukasik, Executive Director at Environment Hamilton, says the release of stormwater and sanitary flow has a huge negative impact on creeks and water bodies like Hamilton Harbour.
She says the releases come with heavy levels of bacterial contamination, pharmaceuticals, oil, roadway contaminants and other nutrients that fuel algal blooms like the blue-green algae that currently covers large areas of the Hamilton Harbour.
“Don’t flush plastic tampons, or condoms, or needles or anything like that. Put it in the garbage because your flushing could end up contaminating the natural environment,” said Lukasik.
She added a growing concern is an increasing frequency of heavy rainfall events due to climate change. Lukasik says intense rainfall over several days leads to stormwater flows that are overwhelming our wastewater systems on a more frequent basis.
