Secondary bypass reported at Timmins’ Mattagami wastewater plant; end time and volume listed as TBD

A secondary bypass began at the Mattagami Water Pollution Control Plant in Timmins on April 14 at 4:36 p.m., with the end date, end time and volume bypassed listed as “TBD,” according to a City of Timmins posting.

The city’s notice provides basic information about a wastewater-system bypass in Timmins, including when it started and where it occurred, but does not yet list when it ended or how much wastewater was diverted.

The City of Timmins listed the location as 551 Airport Rd.

In the same posting, the city said municipal wastewater “consists of 99% water” from stormwater and from homes and businesses, including water used for “washing, flushing etc.”

The city said a bypass or overflow can occur when a treatment plant or part of its process is overwhelmed, and that such events are often caused by heavy rainfall and/or snowmelt. During a bypass or overflow, the city said partially treated wastewater is diverted away from a treatment process to prevent backups, overflows or damage to the system.

The city posted the secondary bypass report on its website on April 15.