Timmins reports secondary bypass underway at Mattagami Water Pollution Control Plant

The City of Timmins says a secondary bypass began at the Mattagami Water Pollution Control Plant at 7:03 p.m. on April 27 and was still ongoing as of 9:02 a.m. on April 28. The city listed the plant’s address as 551 Airport Road.

A bypass can mean partially treated wastewater is diverted around part of the treatment process to prevent backups, overflows or damage to the system, according to the city’s Environmental Services Department.

In its notice, the city did not provide an end date or end time for the bypass. It also did not provide a volume, listing the end date, end time and “volume by-passed” fields as “on-going.”

The city said bypasses or overflows can occur when a treatment plant or part of the treatment process is overwhelmed, often during heavy rainfall or snowmelt.

The city asked residents to conserve water—such as delaying laundry, avoiding long showers and limiting dishwasher use—especially during rainstorms. The city also asked residents not to flush wipes.