‘While the term \u2018bypass\u2019 can sound concerning, it does not mean that raw sewage is being discharged,’ a city official said<\/p>\n
Sault Ste. Marie\u2019s twin cities received roughly 30 mm of rain overnight into Tuesday morning, enough to cause\u00a0water treatment plants on both sides of the river to bypass some of their treatment processes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This means that for a few hours, the water released into the St. Marys River was not as treated as it usually is.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the Ontario side, the city was forced to use a bypass for roughly two hours\u00a0\u2013\u00a0from 12:55 until 3:01 a.m.<\/p>\n
For the American side, the city used a bypass\u00a0from 1 a.m. until roughly 5:25 a.m.<\/p>\n
Andrew Mallette, manager of development and environmental engineering with the City of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, said a bypass at a wastewater treatment facility is not a failure of the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s \u201ca controlled design feature that allows the facility to manage high flows, such as during periods of heavy rain. While the term \u2018bypass\u2019 can sound concerning, it does not mean that raw sewage is being discharged.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wastewater goes through key treatment steps that include screening and grit removal, primary treatment (settling), secondary treatment (aeration and clarification), and disinfection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn most instances, bypass only means that the secondary treatment is bypassed,\u201d Mallette said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, the remaining treatment stages can handle flows more than double what secondary treatment can handle,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This process is common in municipalities and ensures that wastewater continues to receive significant treatment before being discharged.<\/p>\n
The City of Sault Ste. Marie owns the property and assets to ensure essential service is provided to the community. Operations are contracted to PUC, and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is the compliance authority.
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\n\u201cBypasses are controlled and expected as part of wastewater management. They are regulated and monitored to ensure waterway protection,\u201d Mallette said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sault Ste. Marie did not break any records for rainfall this week. For Sept. 22, the record of 41.9 mm of rain was set in 1959, said Steven Flisfeder, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.<\/p>\n
Although Chapleau received 91.7 mm of rain on Monday and Tuesday, a representative said the township\u2019s water treatment plant did not need to use a bypass.<\/p>\n