Stormwater Quality
The Environmental Monitoring & Protection Unit’s Stormwater Quality Group is responsible for ensuring storm sewer discharges meet guidelines set out in Toronto's Sewers Bylaw (Municipal Code, 681).
The Stormwater Quality Group consists of Provincial Offences Officers dedicated to the monitoring and enforcement of discharges to storm sewers for the purpose of protecting Toronto’s surface water quality. Programs the Stormwater Quality Group is responsible for include:
Swimming pools
The City of Toronto in conjunction with the Pool and Hot Tub Council of Canada created an Environmental Best Management Practice (BMP) to help pool contractors and homeowners with swimming pools and hot tubs/spas comply with the Sewers Bylaw (Municipal Code Chapter 681-Sewers) and to reduce the negative impacts of pool discharges to the natural environment. Learn more ...
Outfall Monitoring Program
- Inspection and sampling of every storm sewer outfall discharging into Lake Ontario and Toronto’s water courses to ensure their flows are not in violation of the Municipal Code.
- Investigation operations to locate the source of contaminated flows.
- Frequent monitoring of known Priority Outfalls (outfalls known to have intermittent yet frequent contaminated discharges).
View Outfall Monitoring – Works Committee Report: Taylor-Massey Creek 2006 Update including appendices and maps.
Stormwater Treatment Facility Monitoring
- Numerous projects throughout the City are in operation for the collection and treatment of contaminated stormwater flows.
- SQG staff monitors and samples these sites to ensure proper operations.
Stormwater Projects
- SQG Enforcement Officers are involved in numerous short and long term stormwater monitoring projects in partnership with various City of Toronto departments.
- Projects include the monitoring of de-icing road salt runoff to Toronto’s rivers and streams and West Nile Virus larvicide run-off to Toronto tributaries resulting from the control of mosquito populations in catchbasins.
Beaches and Lake Monitoring Program
- From the first week in June to Labour Day weekend the City collects water quality samples daily (weather and safety permitting) at all 11 designated City of Toronto beaches every day for the purpose of determining beach water quality.
- Toronto Public Health posts these beaches as safe or un-safe to swim based on the number of bacteria found in these samples.
Toronto Water would like to remind everyone that discharges to a catchbasin (square grates found along the curb and in parking lots) flow untreated to the nearest river, creek, stream, pond, or to Lake Ontario and may contribute to water pollution . Please do your part to ensure our surface waters remain clean and safe for wildlife, recreation, and as a source of Toronto’s superior drinking water.
For more information, call 311.
To report a spill or water pollution based complaint, please call the Toronto Water 24Hr Spill and Complaint Reporting Line at: 311.