Lots of cities around the world, including Toronto, have (at least partially) what is called a combined sewer system. If the sewer system was built prior to the 1940s and it hasn’t been replaced, there’s a good chance that it could be a combined system. About a quarter of Toronto and about 60% of New York City still run on combined systems.
What this means is that both stormwater and sewage run in the same pipes. Most of the time this is fine, but if there’s a heavy precipitation event and the system backs up, then you have poop getting diverted into rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. In Toronto, this happens in places like the Don River and the inner harbor, and in Paris it happens in places like the Seine.
I was recently reading something suggesting that sewage generally gets dumped into the Seine about 12x per year as result of major rain events. This is why it’s such a difficult and expensive task to make these bodies of water swimmable, which is something that Paris wants to do before it hosts the Olympics next year.
Thankfully, Toronto also wants to do the same. And in 2018, it started construction on the largest stormwater management program in the city’s history. The overall budget is about $3 billion. Once complete, it should more or less eliminate combined sewer overflows, meaning our waters will become a lot cleaner and more swimmable.
This certainly isn’t the sexiest capital project to announce and talk about. It largely happens behind the scenes. But it is going to lead to a significant quality of life upgrade for the cities willing to take it on — one that will pay dividends well into the future.
Photo by Andre Gaulin on Unsplash
BRANDON DONNELLY 
That is the problem with most infrastructure projects; they are not sexy and not visible and in fact often disruptive so politicians in their short-term of office would rather put up a statue or name a daycare or whatever gets more attention. Part of the reason NYC is altering its outflows has to do with increased storm surges and rising seas. They have massive plans to battle both and have already installed huge floodgates. Nothing like reality to push projects forward and of course, finally, addressing climate change gets you political points!!!!
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I would really love to see a floating boardwalk with shops/bars/restaurants along this section of the river on the lower don trail side.
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I too have wondered sometimes if we’ve over-naturalized the Don and that it could indeed use a short stretch of urbanity. Still, I don’t see it happening. Maybe the Keating Channel would provide an opportunity though?
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I would totally support a stretch of urbanized Don River, fabulous idea, obviously towards the south where so much development will happen nearby in the next decade or 15 years.
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It seems to me that stuffy old Ottawa once allowed seasonal pop-ups on the Rideau Canal which also has very little restaurant/bar opportunities immediately beside the water. I am not sure if they still occur every summer but it is a way to enjoy the water with minimal impact on the flora and fauna and in Ottawa’s case I don’t think it even harmed the UNESCO heritage designation they got for the canal. In Toronto’s case, pop-ups would not necessarily have to be all at the south end . An interesting experience to find a patio amongst the trees where you least expect it
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I would love some urbanity and grandeur.
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+ swimming and sauna facility 🙂
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