Smelly algae invades Hamilton’s west harbour ... again
Heads-up, long-weekend boaters: an influx of smelly floating algae has spurred testing in the west harbour - again.
The city has issued a warning to residents about increased reports of suspected decaying algae" after a resident complaint about the Desjardins Canal in Dundas, as well as a call to the provincial spills action line about floating muck along the recreational bayfront.
Hamilton provincial NDP candidate Sandy Shaw shared a photo online of the grey goo in the harbour last weekend and noted her office called the provincial spill reporting line. People in #HamOnt are rightfully worried about sewage spills into our water!" she tweeted.
The provincial Ministry of Environment did not immediately respond to questions about the algae.
But Hamilton water director Nick Winters said the city checked its combined sewer outfalls and two treatment plants and found no evidence of a spill or abnormal operations."
Regardless, Winters said workers are testing water quality and collecting algae samples. So far, early results suggest the floating goo is green algae - not the toxic blue-green variety that would close beaches and discourage boating.
But the algae growth is nonetheless evidence of a stressed watershed," he said.
In general, hot and sunny days combined with higher nutrients levels in the water can result in rapid algae growth. Sewage overflows into local creeks can overload the harbour and Cootes Paradise with phosphorus and nitrogen.
While the city has found no evidence of rogue sewage spills, an overwhelmed sewer system in the lower city that combines storm water and sewage in the same pipes has overflowed 44 times this year. The city tracks these overflows for the public to see online.
Early-season complaints about smelly algae have plagued the city for a few years in a row. Last year, a bubbling, multicoloured mass of dead plant life chased kayakers away from popular paddling spot Cootes Paradise in mid-April.
That spurred testing for sewage, given the proximity to the now-infamous outlet of Chedoke Creek, where 24 billion litres of sewage was allowed to spill over four years. The results showed dead algae, but no poop.
In May 2020, the Ministry of Environment also responded to reports of a sewage smell near Macassa Bay Yacht Club.
Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at for The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com