November 26, 2009
Stormwater Management Facilities EA
The City of Toronto has initiated a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) study to assess the consolidation of approximately thirty (30) stormwater outfalls within the Etobicoke Waterfront Drainage Area that discharge stormwater directly to Lake Ontario and to improve water quality by implementing stormwater management facilities. The Etobicoke Waterfront Stormwater management Facilities Project was identified in the 25-year implementation plan of the Wet Weather Flow Master Plan (WWFMP).
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The first public meeting of the EA process was held earlier this month at the Assembly Hall. This is a very worthwhile project, but it will be very costly, and potentially very disruptive. The extent and duration of the disruption will depend on which stormwater management options are chosen. Some involve the construction of large sewer mains, including Lake Shore Blvd through most of Mimico. Others involve large stormwater detention facilities. These could be open ponds similar to the flow balancing facility at Humber Bay East, or underground storage tanks. Sam Smith Park plays a prominent role in most scenarios. Mimico Memorial Park is also being considered as a site for an underground storage tank.
Material presented at the November 12th public meeting is now available on line:
The slide presentation
The display boards
The fact sheet describing the various end-of-pipe treatment options.
CCFEW will continue to be actively involved in this EA process. While we fully support the goals of the Wet Weather Flow Master Plan (WWFMP), the waterfront parks figure prominently in these plans. It is possible that some of these parks will be enhanced through this process, but we also need to ensure that they aren’t degraded.
You can find more information about this project on the City of Toronto’s website.
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