scooter
03-05-2009, 09:53 AM
What about the Waterford River?
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When I was a lad, back when indoor plumbing was a luxury having not yet arrived at my grandparent's home at Birchy Bay, a trip to the "bathroom" involved a walk along a path leading to the shoreline. The outdoor toilet, a two-seater perched precariously on stilts, was strategically located so that high tide would provide a flush.
A few hundred feet away, out around the point, at Round Cove, we frolicked in the salt water and gave little thought to the possibility that our swimming area might be contaminated. Considering the dilution factor and wave action, we really had nothing to worry about - but what if there had been hundreds of outhouses along the same shoreline. How might that have impacted our pristine environment?
It's hard to believe that today, nearly 50 years later, our capital city still pumps more than a hundred million litres of raw sewage into its harbour, every day. And while the city of St. John's works diligently to rid itself of this 500-year-old tradition, anglers are pleading for an answer to a very important question.
What about the Waterford River?
A group of concerned anglers in the city is working to draw attention to a problem that threatens its recreational fishery. Although current building regulations would never permit the dispensing of raw sewage into a river, it seems that old habits die hard. The city still allows storm drains to spill into the river and those who know the Waterford well are very familiar with the stuff that flows from these pipes. Some anglers have taken photos of human waste and toilet tissue floating by as they pursue a pastime not recommended for the faint of heart.
Some of the dozens of individuals who frequent the banks of the Waterford, world renowned for its prolific brown trout population, recently met to form an advocacy group. The Waterford River Anglers' Association, recognizing the splendid resource that exists right on its doorstep, has set out to inform the public, to lobby public officials and promote the cleanup of the river.
During the last few weeks, a number of anglers have expressed to me their displeasure with conditions on the Waterford. One individual sent me a video of the mess spewing from one of the storm drains, which I have posted on the Backyard website. If you look closely at it, you can see toilet paper mixed in with a substance not unlike that infamous cocktail widely referred to as "the bubble."
I contacted the city to get its perspective on what is happening on the Waterford. I spoke with a senior engineer who described the city's efforts to rectify the problem. He informed me considerable resources have been deployed to track down the sources of the raw sewer leaks, but "it's not an easy task."
Apparently, much of the old sewer system is in service in certain parts of the city and when the sanitary sewer overflows, there are some instances where it spills into the storm sewer system. The city official also acknowledged there are likely situations where homeowners added a basement washroom and instead of linking with the sanitary sewer system, hooked into their floor drain leading to the storm sewer. This, of course, is not up to code, and would never be approved by the city, but is very difficult to trace.
I was told the city responds to every complaint when raw sewage is being dispensed where it shouldn't be, but anglers are not convinced. Some of the comments I am hearing suggest the city is "passing the buck, trying to divert responsibility."
One angler, who spends a lot of time on the Waterford, pointed out that there is a 20-metre stretch of river, near the Blackhead Road Bridge, where there is a continuous flow of "raw waste, all of the time." He went on to say, "We know what the problem is. We need to find a way to get it fixed."
With nearly $150 million being spent to treat the waste entering the harbour, you would think some of that money could be used to ensure there is no raw sewage entering St. John's rivers. No one would tolerate Grandfather's outhouse standing along the banks of the Waterford today, but the current situation is like having a hundred toilets, perhaps more, all in a row.
Derek Brace is a teacher and freelance writer in Botwood. When he's not enjoying the splendour of Newfoundland's great outdoors, he can be reached via e-mail at dbrace@nf.sympatico.ca. Check out his website at www.freewebs.com/backyardsalmon (http://www.freewebs.com/backyardsalmon).
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PUBLICATION: The Telegram (St. John's)
DATE: 2009.02.28
SECTION: Outdoors
PAGE: D3
COLUMN: My backyard
BYLINE: Brace, Derek
ILLUSTRATION: Two members of the newly formed Waterford River Anglers Association recently held a large meshed screen in the river for a period of less than two minutes, down stream from one of the storm drains. Yes, that is toilet paper you are seeing. - Photo by Derek Brace/Special to The Telegram WORD COUNT: 764
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When I was a lad, back when indoor plumbing was a luxury having not yet arrived at my grandparent's home at Birchy Bay, a trip to the "bathroom" involved a walk along a path leading to the shoreline. The outdoor toilet, a two-seater perched precariously on stilts, was strategically located so that high tide would provide a flush.
A few hundred feet away, out around the point, at Round Cove, we frolicked in the salt water and gave little thought to the possibility that our swimming area might be contaminated. Considering the dilution factor and wave action, we really had nothing to worry about - but what if there had been hundreds of outhouses along the same shoreline. How might that have impacted our pristine environment?
It's hard to believe that today, nearly 50 years later, our capital city still pumps more than a hundred million litres of raw sewage into its harbour, every day. And while the city of St. John's works diligently to rid itself of this 500-year-old tradition, anglers are pleading for an answer to a very important question.
What about the Waterford River?
A group of concerned anglers in the city is working to draw attention to a problem that threatens its recreational fishery. Although current building regulations would never permit the dispensing of raw sewage into a river, it seems that old habits die hard. The city still allows storm drains to spill into the river and those who know the Waterford well are very familiar with the stuff that flows from these pipes. Some anglers have taken photos of human waste and toilet tissue floating by as they pursue a pastime not recommended for the faint of heart.
Some of the dozens of individuals who frequent the banks of the Waterford, world renowned for its prolific brown trout population, recently met to form an advocacy group. The Waterford River Anglers' Association, recognizing the splendid resource that exists right on its doorstep, has set out to inform the public, to lobby public officials and promote the cleanup of the river.
During the last few weeks, a number of anglers have expressed to me their displeasure with conditions on the Waterford. One individual sent me a video of the mess spewing from one of the storm drains, which I have posted on the Backyard website. If you look closely at it, you can see toilet paper mixed in with a substance not unlike that infamous cocktail widely referred to as "the bubble."
I contacted the city to get its perspective on what is happening on the Waterford. I spoke with a senior engineer who described the city's efforts to rectify the problem. He informed me considerable resources have been deployed to track down the sources of the raw sewer leaks, but "it's not an easy task."
Apparently, much of the old sewer system is in service in certain parts of the city and when the sanitary sewer overflows, there are some instances where it spills into the storm sewer system. The city official also acknowledged there are likely situations where homeowners added a basement washroom and instead of linking with the sanitary sewer system, hooked into their floor drain leading to the storm sewer. This, of course, is not up to code, and would never be approved by the city, but is very difficult to trace.
I was told the city responds to every complaint when raw sewage is being dispensed where it shouldn't be, but anglers are not convinced. Some of the comments I am hearing suggest the city is "passing the buck, trying to divert responsibility."
One angler, who spends a lot of time on the Waterford, pointed out that there is a 20-metre stretch of river, near the Blackhead Road Bridge, where there is a continuous flow of "raw waste, all of the time." He went on to say, "We know what the problem is. We need to find a way to get it fixed."
With nearly $150 million being spent to treat the waste entering the harbour, you would think some of that money could be used to ensure there is no raw sewage entering St. John's rivers. No one would tolerate Grandfather's outhouse standing along the banks of the Waterford today, but the current situation is like having a hundred toilets, perhaps more, all in a row.
Derek Brace is a teacher and freelance writer in Botwood. When he's not enjoying the splendour of Newfoundland's great outdoors, he can be reached via e-mail at dbrace@nf.sympatico.ca. Check out his website at www.freewebs.com/backyardsalmon (http://www.freewebs.com/backyardsalmon).
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PUBLICATION: The Telegram (St. John's)
DATE: 2009.02.28
SECTION: Outdoors
PAGE: D3
COLUMN: My backyard
BYLINE: Brace, Derek
ILLUSTRATION: Two members of the newly formed Waterford River Anglers Association recently held a large meshed screen in the river for a period of less than two minutes, down stream from one of the storm drains. Yes, that is toilet paper you are seeing. - Photo by Derek Brace/Special to The Telegram WORD COUNT: 764
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