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Reducing sewer overflows at William Street

Reducing sewer overflows at William Street

Sewer overflows are a historical problem we are committed to improving. We are proud of our continued work to reduce overflows, including recent sewer work on Earl Street.

This improvement will reduce combined sewer overflows into Lake Ontario at William Street. It’s the sewer overflow location that overflows with the greatest frequency in our city. The work involves upsizing the 200 mm sewer pipe leading from the combined sewer overflow (CSO) tank on Earl Street to the Harbourfront Trunk Sewer. This larger 300 mm pipe will improve hydraulics and better convey wastewater from the CSO tank to the trunk sewer.

A sewer overflow is when sewage from the sanitary and combined collection systems overflows to the environment. It is often a result of the sewers being too full. Watch this video to learn more about the problem and how Utilities Kingston is addressing it.

We also offer real-time sewer overflow notifications to help you make a better-informed decision about recreational water use.