Saskatoon storm 'overwhelmed' treatment plant
Saskatoon's wastewater treatment plant struggled to keep up during the June 20 rainstorm that battered the city.
The plant measures its flow in millions of litres per day (MLD).
A city report outlines how 270 million MLD of water was rushing through the plant during the storm's peak. The typical average daily flow sits around 79 MLD, according to the city.
The highest flow rate "in recent history" happened in 2017, with 170 MLD, according to the report.
During the storm, the plant was "overwhelmed" resulting in a minor spill of 70 cubic metres of raw sewage into the South Saskatchewan River, the report said.
"Due to the minimal amount of sewage spilled, there is no risk to the public to utilize the river for recreation," the report said.
By comparison, an Olympic-sized swimming pool holds 2,500 cubic metres of water.
The city's sanitary and storm systems operate independently.
However, water can infiltrate the storm system through avenues such as manholes, pipes and sump pump connections, the report said.
During the storm, city residents were asked via social media to refrain from unnecessarily flushing toilets and running washing machines and dishwashers.
The plant was switched to manual operation during the storm, which diverted millions of litres of water and prevented "longer-term quality impacts," the report said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.