City says sanitary sewer blockage to blame for sewage spill in Toronto’s Taylor-Massey Creek

Authorities say a blocked sanitary sewer is to blame for the sewage spill into Taylor-Massey Creek.

Clean-up efforts are underway following a sewage spill at a waterway in Toronto’s east end late last week.

A spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks said on Aug. 22 its Spills Action Centre received “multiple” reports of a sewage spill at Taylor-Massey Creek from a stormwater outfall at Warden Avenue and St. Clair Avenue East.

“Ministry staff attended the site on the same day and met with staff from Toronto Water to confirm that appropriate actions were being taken to contain and clean up the sewage. The ministry did not observe any dead fish in the creek while on site,” spokesperson Gary Wheeler said in a written statement provided to CP24.

Wheeler noted that Toronto Water has confirmed that the spill was caused by a blockage in the sanitary sewer at Hymus Road, which “resulted in an overflow into the stormwater sewer, discharging into the creek approximately one kilometre downstream.”

“The blockage was cleared on Friday (Aug. 22),” he said, adding that Toronto Water “initiated containment and clean-up measures, which are ongoing.”

“The ministry continues to engage with Toronto Water to ensure that appropriate clean-up measures are undertaken and completed to the ministry’s satisfaction,” said the spokesperson.

The City of Toronto, meanwhile, said it was alerted to a “potential” sewage spill in Taylor-Massey Creek on Friday near Warden and St. Clair Avenues and immediately advised the Ministry and sent crews to the site.

“Staff confirmed a blocked sewer was responsible for the issue. The blockage was cleared on Friday afternoon and crews put containment measures in place to mitigate any issues downstream,” spokesperson Elise von Scheel said in a statement.

“Cleanup continued throughout the weekend and water conditions were improving on Sunday.

City of Toronto takes environmental issues like these “seriously,” says spokesperson

Von Scheel underlined that the city takes environmental issues like these “seriously,” adding that staff will “continue to skim the water for debris and maintain the containment equipment until the water returns to its usual clarity, which is expected to take a few days.”

“We will continue to work with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks as the cleanup progresses,” she said.

In a statement, Beaches-East York Coun. Brad Bradford said he and his staff were also advised of the situation on Friday.

“This was very concerning, and I have been working with city staff to make sure that a cleanup is underway and that this issue is quickly resolved,” the Ward 19 councillor said.

“A staff team attended immediately and confirmed a blocked sewer was responsible for the issue.”

Bradford noted that the blockage was cleared that day, adding that crews put containment measures in place to mitigate any issues downstream.

He added that the spill was also reported to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) Spills Action Centre as soon as it was identified.

“City staff and my office take these environmental issues seriously, and I will continue to follow up to ensure that proactive, preventative actions are taken wherever possible to prevent incidents like this from happening again,” said Bradford.

“Staff will continue to skim the water for debris and maintain the containment equipment until the water returns to its usual clarity. If you see a spill, always report it to 311 immediately.”

Scarborough Southwest MPP Doly Begum said what’s occurred at Taylor Creek is “deeply concerning for families in our community.”

“People deserve to know their water, air, and local environment are safe. The government needs to act quickly to identify the source of the spill, provide clear and transparent updates to the public, and ensure there is a full clean-up and monitoring plan in place,” she said in an email.

“Surely something like this was preventable, and families deserve to know that those responsible will be held accountable.”

Several area residents contacted CP24 about the spill, saying that they started noticing discoloured water, a nauseating smell, and dead fish in Taylor-Massey Creek on Thursday evening.

“Having untreated sewage turn a creek that winds its way through the middle of the city into an open sewer for more than 24 hours seems like a pretty big environmental disaster,” Randy Bareham wrote in an email to CP24.

“For anyone living in the vicinity of the creek, from Warden to the Don River, it was impossible to even go outside Friday evening and Saturday morning because of the stench, not to mention the immediate and long-term damage to the creek itself.”

CP24 has also reached out to Scarborough Southwest Coun. Parthi Kandavel as well as Beaches-East York MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon for comment.

Taylor-Massey Creek is a tributary of the Don River, which flows into Lake Ontario.