Don River and Central Waterfront Wet Weather Flow System & Connected Projects – Project List

The DR&CW project is an integrated system to manage rain and melted snow. The project will keep combined sewer overflows out of Lower Don River, Taylor-Massey Creek and Inner Harbour by:

  • Capturing it within the tunnel system.
  • Transporting it for treatment.
  • Storing it during extreme rainstorms until system capacity is restored and the water can be transported for treatment.

The project will be done in stages.The first stage is the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel, a 10.6 km long, 6.3 m diameter tunnel. The complete DR&CW Tunnel System will include:

  • A 22 km tunnel system consisting of three integrated tunnels:
    1. Coxwell Bypass Tunnel (stage one)
    2. Taylor Massey-Creek Tunnel
    3. Inner Harbour Tunnel
  • 12 wet weather flow storage shafts along the tunnels.
  • 27 connection points to the tunnels for stormwater and combined sewer overflow.
  • seven off-line storage tanks.
  • Real Time Control (RTC) to regulate flows in the City’s sewer system.

Timing and Budget

Construction of phase one of the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel runs from summer 2018 to 2023. Timing of the future stages is dependent on funding, regulatory approvals, and other considerations.

The budget for phase one is $404 million, and the budget for the full Don River and Central Waterfront Tunnel System is approximately $2 billion.

The new integrated pumping station will move raw sewage from underground sewers into the treatment plant. The plant will:

  • Receive and pump the additional flows that come from the Don River and Central Waterfront Tunnel System.
  • Provide additional capacity for population growth.
  • Replace the current two pumping stations, one of which has been in operation since 1919 and the other since the 1970s.
  • Be constructed on the property south of Lake Shore Boulevard East (both of the old pumping stations are north of Lake Shore Boulevard East in Pumphouse Park).

Timing and Budget

Construction will span 2018 to 2026 with a budget of $388 million.

The UV Disinfection Wastewater Treatment System will:

  • Provide reliable disinfection as part of the full wastewater treatment process without the use of chemicals.
  • Replace the current chlorine disinfection system.
  • Use next generation UV lamp technology which is more energy efficient and requires less space than conventional UV lamps.
  • Include sodium hypochlorite disinfection and dechlorination for excessive flows to the plant caused by extreme rainstorms.

Timing and Budget

Construction will span 2018 to 2022 with a budget of $213 million.

The wastewater treatment plant outfall is the point at which the effluent (the fully treated wastewater) is discharged back into Lake Ontario. The new outfall will:

  • Provide additional capacity and replace the existing (now undersized) outfall built in the 1950s.
  • Be 7 m in diameter, extending 3.5 km out into Lake Ontario, well below the lake bed.
  • Eliminate shoreline discharge during extreme rainstorms.

Timing and Budget

Construction will span 2018 to 2025 with a budget of $327 million.

The Ashbridges Bay Landform Project is a joint initiative between the City and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The project will:

  • Provide erosion and sediment control to improve passage for boats, eliminating the need for regular dredging in the Coatsworth Cut area of Ashbridges Bay.
  • Be built south of the Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant and will be the site of a new high-rate treatment facility and a stormwater treatment wetland.
  • Manage the additional flows that come from the Don River and Central Waterfront Tunnel System at a high-rate.

Timing and Budget

Construction (Landform project) will span 2019 to 2025 with a budget of $33 million.

Usage

While building the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel and the Integrated Pumping Station over the next 10 years:

  • Space along the west end of Pumphouse Park, at the current location of the Tubs & Gee Gage Rugby Field will be used for:
    • construction activities
    • storing construction materials, equipment, and trailers
  • The eastern half of the existing parking lot located at the northwest end of the park will be used for:
    • construction administration office trailers
  • The baseball diamond will be occupied for construction activities.

Get the latest construction updates.

Upgrades

  • The Tubs and Gee Gage Rugby Field will be relocated within the park, north of Ashbridges Skateboard Park and the existing rugby field will remain open to the public during the construction of the new, relocated rugby field.
  • A new parking lot with 56 parking spaces, bike racks and lighting system, will be constructed on the east side of the park.