(Montreal) Quebec municipalities discharge less and less wastewater into natural environments, according to a list of the Fondation Rivières. Quebec recorded 36,391 spills in 2021, compared to 52,794 the previous year.
Posted at 2:14 p.m.
But this improvement could be temporary, warns the environmental organization which unveiled its ranking on Thursday.
Last year, a dry spring combined with a summer with little rain explains the decrease of approximately 30% observed compared to 2020, indicates the director general of the Foundation, André Bélanger. Spills that occur when there is too much water in sewer systems.
“On the other hand, we can expect that in 2022 the figures will be less interesting because the spring was very rainy – the melting was quite rapid – and the summer was just as wet. It will have direct impacts on the ability of the networks to manage this water, ”said Mr. Bélanger to The Canadian Press.
He believes the next snapshot will show a similar level to 2020, which would be considered “very good news”, as the number of spills soared above 60,000 in 2019.
The Foundation’s ranking compares the performance of 700 municipalities in Quebec by measuring the intensity of spills per inhabitant. This indicator has also been declining overall for the past five years for a growing number of municipalities, demonstrating that the province is on the right track.
“This allows us to conclude that the interventions of the cities for the last five years, they occurred in places where it was important”, indicates Mr. Bélanger.
The intensity index includes the duration of spills and the size of the overflow structure that overflows (eg pumping station), but does not calculate the quantity of wastewater. It is mainly “small” municipalities that show the highest intensity levels per inhabitant.
Mr. Bélanger specifies, however, that it is better to compare municipalities with the same population category, since large cities have an advantage in terms of infrastructure compared to smaller ones.
Among the large cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants, Trois-Rivières obtains the worst score, while Montreal has the best record.
For some municipalities, the intensity per inhabitant could not be measured due to the lack of electronic recorders to count the number and duration of spills. However, the list counts the number of derivations by municipality. These are sewage treatment plants that can discharge partially treated wastewater into the environment.
Quebec singled out
For its third ranking, the Foundation presents the evolution of the performance of municipalities from 2017 to 2021. It also offered the opportunity to several cities that appear at the top of the ranking to react to their performance. Out of 35, eight responded to the invitation.
By publishing its report, the Rivières Foundation wishes to challenge Quebec to speed up the transmission of depollution certificates to municipalities. This regulatory tool from the Ministry of the Environment identifies the problems to be corrected and thus allows municipalities to quickly obtain financial assistance from the government.
To date, about 160 municipalities out of 850 have obtained the certificate, according to the Foundation.
“We turn the spotlight on the provincial side, because it is not at the municipal level that it blocks. There are ambitions at the municipal level” despite certain constraints, argues Mr. Bélanger.
He reminds that sewage spills come with a lot of phosphorus and E. coli which can have an impact on the fauna and flora, and also prevent the population from taking advantage of the waterways for swimming.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.