Untreated wastewater flows into Halifax Harbour for second time in a month

A passenger ferry crossies Halifax harbour on Thursday, June 4, 2009. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)

Halifax Water is again asking people to avoid Halifax Harbour and limit the amount of water going down their drains.

Late Sunday night, the water utility said a failed wastewater pump at the Duffus Street pumping station is causing “screened, but untreated wastewater” to leak into the harbour.

Halifax Water says crews are working to fix the problem.

“While this work continues, residents and visitors are strongly advised not to go swimming or participate in recreational activities requiring water contact in Halifax Harbour until further notice,” the utility wrote in a news release Monday.

Halifax Water is asking residents of Larry Uteck, Clayton Park, Fairview and parts of the north end to reduce the amount of water they are flushing and pouring into their drains. It says this will help limit how much wastewater is released.

This comes just over a week after Halifax Water said the Duffus Street pumping station was fixed -- after a similar failure resulted in “screened combined wastewater and stormwater flowing into the harbour.”

The utility asks people to keep a safe distance from their crews working to resolve the issue.