Advisory for RED RIVER (Winnipeg), Manitoba

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RED RIVER (Winnipeg)

Type: Spill  -  Active

Issued: 2/23/2025

Details:

February 23 An estimated 30,000 litres of untreated sewage, over a period of approximately 20 minutes, spilled into the river after two fire hydrants were opened overnight, an overflow alarm at the Hart Avenue lift station alerted City Staff shortly after 3 am. In a statement to CBC, the City stated that unauthorized use of fire hydrants is rare and a violation of the Citys water bylaw.

Prior to this incident, an estimated 422,860 litres of raw sewage had been spilled into the Red River on five separate occasions in different locations in Winnipeg since January 2.

In recent news, the Manitoba government charged City of Winnipeg over Red River sewage spill that occurred February 7, 2024 when 230 million litres of raw sewage spilled into the river after a pipe failure. This is not the first time the City has faced charges related to a sewage spill.

The largest sewage spill in the Citys history occurred in 2002, when a mechanical failure at the North End Sewage Treatment Plant released 427 million litres into the river over a 57-hour period.

Pollution from wastewater has contributed to toxic algal blooms on Lake Winnipeg aswell as devastating affects on downstream communities.