Flood Impacts on Wastewater System near Fletchers Lake, NS
(Monday, July 24, 2023) Halifax Water would like to advise residents living near Fletchers Lake that the wastewater system in this area may have overflowed into Fletchers Lake during this past weekend’s flooding. We have crews at the facility and are doing our utmost to manage the system and limit any further impact.
We strongly recommend that residents, visitors and pet owners not participate in recreational activities requiring water contact at Fletchers Lake. This includes swimming and paddle boarding, etc. We have made the applicable federal, provincial, and municipal entities aware of this incident.
Halifax Water is developing a mitigation strategy to reduce the environmental impact on Fletchers Lake. Our primary focus is working as quickly and safely as possible to return the system to normal operations.
Reduce flushing as much as possible:
To reduce pressure on the wastewater system, we ask customers in the areas shown on the attached map to reduce the amount of water they are flushing and pouring into their drains. To learn more, visit halifaxwater.ca/reducing-wastewater.
We appreciate your assistance and will issue a follow-up announcement once we have restored the wastewater system to normal operations.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are working as safely and quickly as possible to address the issue.
Warning about Swimming in Flooded Areas:
Halifax Water agrees with the province of Nova Scotia and HRM’s advice that residents should avoid swimming for 24-48 hours in areas where flooding from excessive rainfall could contribute to higher bacteria levels in the water. These higher levels can come from a number of sources, including runoff and sewage bypass practices that are used in some areas during flooding events.
We apologize for any inconvenience this necessary infrastructure repair work may cause.
To ensure the safety of our communities and our staff, please maintain a safe distance when Halifax Water staff or contractors are working in your area.
For more information on Halifax Water, please check www.halifaxwater.ca<www.halifaxwater.ca/#_blank>, visit us on YouTube, or Twitter @HalifaxWater, Facebook, or call our Customer Care Centre at 902-420-9287.
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