Why Brampton is looking to clean up the water flowing into a creek

Every time it rains, water running off a large section of Brampton makes its way into a local creek, carrying sediment and pollutants with it.

Now the city is looking at ways to stop some of that material before it reaches Fletcher’s Creek.

Brampton is studying a stormwater retrofit near Bovaird Drive and McLaughlin Road that could significantly improve the quality of water flowing from the city’s drainage system into the creek.

The issue is the size and nature of the area draining into the Van Kirk outfall.

The outfall, which was built in 2004, receives stormwater from a 133-hectare catchment area, with about 74 per cent of the area covered by impervious surfaces such as roads and other surfaces where rainwater cannot easily soak into the ground.

Instead, much of that water runs across the landscape, enters the stormwater system and ultimately drains directly into Fletcher’s Creek, which is a tributary of the Credit River.

That matters because stormwater doesn’t arrive at the creek as clean rainwater.

As it travels over hard surfaces, runoff can pick up sediment and pollutants before entering the drainage system. The City identified the Van Kirk outfall as a priority for improvements aimed at addressing those water-quality and erosion concerns.

In other words, the problem isn’t necessarily something residents can see every day. It is happening whenever rain moves through the area.

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The city has already studied possible solutions.

A 2021 conceptual design report examined three options for retrofitting the Van Kirk outfall. The designs were intended to reduce the amount of sediment and pollutants carried into Fletcher’s Creek, with the options aiming to remove up to 80 per cent of those particles from stormwater before it reaches the natural environment.

The eventual solution has not yet been finalized.

Brampton is now working with Aquafor Beech Limited on a multi-phase project that will evaluate the possible retrofit options based on technical, environmental, social, cultural and economic considerations.

There are also some significant challenges at the site.

The city has to work around Redside Dace habitat, nearby sanitary infrastructure, limited City-owned land and the Fletcher’s Creek Recreational Trail. Any solution will also require permits from agencies including Credit Valley Conservation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

The project is therefore not simply about putting something in the ground to filter water. The city is trying to improve water quality while protecting an environmentally sensitive area and existing infrastructure.

And the benefits could extend beyond the immediate area.

Fletcher’s Creek is part of the broader Credit River watershed, meaning what enters the creek doesn’t necessarily stay at the outfall. The city says the project is intended to improve stormwater quality, reduce erosion and protect the health of Fletcher’s Creek and the wider watershed.

The project is currently in the design and study stage, rather than construction.

Brampton is preparing to present the alternatives it has been considering, along with a preliminary preferred solution, at a virtual public meeting on Oct. 21 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Residents will have an opportunity to learn about the options and provide feedback.

A preliminary study report is expected later this fall, followed by another public information meeting in winter 2027. The City currently expects to finalize the design in winter 2027.

For residents, the project may not produce a dramatic change they can immediately see. There is no new road, transit line or building coming out of it.

Instead, the goal is something considerably less visible: making sure more of the water flowing through Brampton’s stormwater system reaches the natural environment cleaner and with less sediment and pollution.

And with a 133-hectare drainage area feeding into the Van Kirk outfall, that could make a significant difference to the creek downstream.

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