A sewer pipe damaged by a drill at the end of July has been repaired and is back online now, and water testing in the area continues after the major sewage spill.
Water advisories have now been lifted with regular testing showing acceptable bacteria levels at all of Collingwood beaches.
Sunset Point’s west beach was put under a swimming advisory today, but previously tested safe between July 29 and Aug. 10. No link has been made to the swimming advisory today and the sewage leak at the end of July.
On July 22, construction crews drilling at 31 Huron St. struck and damged a sanitary force main, which then pumped about 1.5 million litres of untreated sewage into the Collingwood Harbour area.
About 115,000 litres of sewage from the spill was hauled to the wastewater treatment plant, and a pump set up in the area sent liquids to a nearby sanitary manhole.
Collingwood’s director of public works, engineering and environmental services, Peggy Slama, delivered an update on the situation to some members of council during a development and operations standing committee meeting.
She confirmed the forcemain was repaired and is back in operation.
“The developer and the town is working together on next steps,” said Slama. “We are still in contact with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and we’ve had a local inspector come to the site and speak with us, our wastewater operators, public works staff, and managers for those divisions.”
She said the town has provided all the facts and information the ministry has requested and is prepared to provide any information the ministry requires.
The spill was reported to the medical officer of health and the province’s Spills Action Centre when it was discovered.
The construction going on at 31 Huron Street is for Harbour House, a six-storey, L-shaped building with commercial units on the ground floor and condominium units on the upper five storeys. The plan also includes two levels of underground parking.
Both the town and Collingwood Harbour House owners, Streetcar Developments Inc. agree the damage was caused by construction drilling on site.
Streetcar claimed the drawings provided by the town showed the force main in a different location and outside of the drilling area.
