Sewergate: What comes next for sewage cleanup in Cootes Paradise?

City councillors have signed off on the first step toward a provincially ordered cleanup of sewage-soaked Cootes Paradise.

But how quickly you see action in the beloved marsh or its feeder waterway, Chedoke Creek, really depends on the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.

In late 2019, The Spectator exclusively reported then-secret details of a four-year, 24-billion-litre sewage spill into the creek. The province has since ordered targeted dredging in the creek alongside pollution mitigation" in the eco-sensitive marsh.

The city submitted a dredging plan for Chedoke on Feb. 22 and councillors reviewed a list of possible projects in Cootes Paradise on Wednesday ahead of a March 22 order submission deadline.

So how soon will we see action on a cleanup?

Major construction of any sort is unlikely" this year, said city water director Andrew Grice. The province has ordered dredging in Chedoke Creek by the end of October - but the city has argued it will take until mid-2022 to do the work because of environmental permit requirements.

By email, the province said it has not agreed to extend the deadline, but left open the option to reassess" the schedule after the city's plan is fleshed out. Until the city does more creek testing we won't even know how much dredging costs, although early estimates suggested more than $2 million.

Most big infrastructure projects proposed to help Cootes - like sewer separation, new sewage tanks or bigger pipes - will need further study.

But paddlers and hikers around Cootes Paradise may see workers in hip-waders doing field work" in the mouth of Chedoke Creek as early as this spring, said Grice. Those workers will be taking sediment samples to determine where sewage sludge must be vacuumed off the bottom of the creek.

If the province signs off on the list, the city will have six weeks to come up with a detailed work plan, schedule and budget.

Separately, the city is also consulting with community groups and agencies on pollution improvements throughout the Chedoke Creek watershed, including upstream on the escarpment. A detailed report on those findings is expected in May.

Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com