Spills & Environmental Contamination

Report a Spill

If you see a spill

Report all spills to 311 immediately. You can submit a service request online to report:

• spills or illegal dumping into watercourses, Lake Ontario and sewers or onto City property and road allowances
• spills from a waste collection truck including leaked liquids, fuel or solid material
• spills at a waste transfer station

If calling 311 to report a spill, you can choose to remain anonymous.

If you or your business cause a spill

If your business or facility accidentally releases a substance into the sewer or the environment, you must:

1. Report the spill to 311 immediately.
2. Submit a detailed spill report within five days of the spill.

Your report must include:

• location, volume and duration of the spill
• date and time of the spill
• name and contact information of the person reporting the spill
• name and characteristics of the material spilled
• actions taken to contain and clean up the spill
• measures put in place to prevent another similar incident

You must make every effort to contain the spill, minimize environmental impacts and complete cleanup of the spill. If the responsible party does not take appropriate action, the City is authorized to carry out the cleanup under provincial legislation and recover the associated costs.

Submit your spill report

Email: p3help@toronto.ca

Mail:

City of Toronto
Attention: Toronto Water, Environmental Monitoring and Protection Unit
2126 Kipling Avenue
Toronto, ON M9W 4K5

For more information, see Section 9 of the Sewers By-law.

How the City Responds to a Spill

When a spill is reported, the City will assess the situation and take appropriate action. This may include:

• installing booms and other containment measures in a watercourse
• collecting samples to determine compliance with the Sewers By-law
• determining the source and cause of the spill
• inspecting the facility or business involved
• requesting a detailed spill report
• notifying and providing updates to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Spills Action Centre

Outfall Monitoring Program

The City monitors storm sewer outfalls, which are the places where storm sewers drain into the city’s watercourses  and Lake Ontario.

City staff inspect outfalls during dry weather to find and address sources of contamination. This work includes:

• inspecting and sampling storm sewer outfalls that discharge into Lake Ontario and Toronto’s watercourses
• monitoring priority outfalls more often when there are known or recurring concerns
• investigating priority outfalls to find and stop the source of contaminated water entering the storm sewer system

If contamination is found, City staff will trace it back to its source. The person or organization responsible must take immediate corrective action.

Dye testing

The City uses dye testing to investigate how water moves through the sewer system. City staff add a small amount of non-toxic coloured dye to a drain, pipe or catch basin and monitor where the coloured water appears.

Dye testing helps:

• identify improper sewer connections where wastewater is entering the storm sewer
• locate sources of groundwater or stormwater entering the wastewater system
• find potential sources of contamination

The information collected helps the City protect watercourses and Lake Ontario, reduce flooding risks and plan sewer system repairs.

You may occasionally see brightly coloured water in a storm sewer, creek or other watercourse during a dye test. This is expected and does not pose a risk to people, pets or the environment.

In some cases, the City may request access to residential properties to conduct a dye test or locate City water infrastructure. City staff will deliver a letter and notice to the property with contact information to schedule an appointment.