Despite minor malfunctions, the city’s general manager of infrastructure and operations says the Thunder Bay Sewage Treatment Plant is handling the recent rainfall.
The city and district has already received more than 10 millimetres of rain since Sunday with more expected over the next few days. The Lakehead Regional Conservation Authority issued a flood watch for the city as well as Neebing, Oliver Paipoonge, Shuniah and the townships of O’Connor, Conmee, Gillies and Dorion.
The city’s general manager of infrastructure and operations, Darrell Matson, said staff has been on duty for the past 24 hours and are closely monitoring the situation.
Matson said city crews are still repairing the Atlantic Avenue sewage treatment plant following the May 28th flooding disaster and is susceptible to minor malfunctions.
He said since those malfunctions happen from time to time so it was important to have staff available at all times.
“There’s been no issues with respect to infrastructure, roads or flooding,” he said. “The plant has been handling the flows extremely well. Over the past 24 hours, it experience two power failures. Operating staff restarted the plant.”
“Minor malfunctions could be electrical power malfunction or a speed control malfunction and mostly in the electrical instrumentation controls area. Those are the components that are being torn out and being replaced.”
The city has responded to reports of ponding on roads as well as calls regarding sewer and water. Matson said this is typical given the amount of precipitation.
He added all the sewers that have been inspected so far are operating normally. Waterways are also being closely monitored.
“The biggest difference from last year is the amount of precipitation over a short period of time,” he said. “This is a significant amount of precipitation over a long period of time. Those are two fundamentally different events.”
City officials, who have called a media conference Tuesday morning to update the situations, said several road closures were in effect Monday night. Arundel near Toledo Street, Melbourne Road near Hazelwood Drive, Chippewa Road between City Road and the Chippewa Park zoo and the recreation trail underneath the Edward Street bridge were all closed because of excessive water.
"We are strongly advising residents to use extreme caution when traveling throughout the city and area, as water levels have risen quickly and will only get worse if heavy rainfall happens overnight," Mayor Keith Hobbs said in a release. "Public safety is our top priority. We are asking motorists and pedestrians to take extra care if you are on the roads and rails, and please take extra care with children when outdoors."
To report flooding, phone the Infrastrucure and Operations department at 625-2195. For provincially controlled routes, dial 511.
--With files from Leith Dunick
