The Don River and Central Waterfront Project:
Cleaning up our waterways
In 1987, the International Joint Commission identified the City of Toronto's waterfront as one of 43 polluted Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin, largely due to poor water quality conditions in the Don River and the Inner Harbour. In 2006, Toronto City Council approved the start of the Don River and Central Waterfront Project – A Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) study to look for solutions to improve water quality. A main source of water pollution is stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows, which contain a mixture of stormwater and untreated sewage, and are released from outfalls into the Toronto's waterways after heavy rains or snowmelts.
The Class EA study, as required by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE), began in 2008. Carrying forward the recommendations in the City's Wet Weather Flow Master Plan and based on extensive consultation with the public and other stakeholders over the past three years, the study has recommended solutions to address the problem of stormwater and combined sewer overflow discharges.
The Preferred Solution includes new underground infrastructure and a treatment facility that will capture and treat polluted stormwater and combined sewer overflows before they enter Toronto's waterways. It also includes upgrades to the Don Sanitary Trunk Sewer system to help service future growth, including twinning of the Coxwell Sanitary Trunk Sewer to ensure the system's safe operation.
The next step for the Class EA study is for the Environmental Study Report, which documents the findings and recommendations of the study, to be placed on the public record for a 45-day public review period. Once the Class EA process is completed, funding will be required and construction of the Project would be phased in over a 25-year period. Contact us for more information.
What's new
Notice of Study Completion and 45-day Review Period
The Environmental Study Report (ESR) for the Don River and Central Waterfront Class EA is being placed on the public record for a 45-day review period starting on August 10, 2012 and ending on September 24, 2012. Visit the Public Consultation page to view the Notice of Study Completion and to access the Environmental Study Report.
Project modifications
Some modifications have been made to the Project design since Public Information Centres were held in June 2011. Visit the Preferred Solution page for more information.
Wet Weather Flow Master Plan and Basement Flooding Protection Update
A staff report with recommendations concerning the Don River and Central Waterfront Project was approved by City Council on September 21, 2011. The Environmental Study Report (ESR) for the Class EA study is expected to be filed with the MOE for a 30-day public review period in late 2011. A Notice of Study Completion advising of the 30-day public review period, and the ESR document will be posted to this website later this year.
