Human waste found in Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise causing increased e.coli levels

City of Hamilton officials have determined that it was in fact human waste that what caused increased e.coli levels in Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise.

City of Hamilton crews have tested the blobs of fecal matter that were floating in the creek, and the test results came back today positive for human feces. They think they know where it came from as well.

Blobs of human waste were first noticed floating in Chedoke Creek two weeks ago.

“We test for caffeine to see if there’s evidence of a human contributor, we saw caffeine in three of our locations, one of which is the Chedoke Creek outfall.” says Nick Winters, the director for Hamilton Water.

Nearly 10,000 times the acceptable level of e.coli was found in Chedoke Creek.

City crews have narrowed the source down to a faulty gate at the combined sewer overflow tank off the 403.

“The gate in question is a bypass gate which if opened allows sewage from our sanitary system to go around the CSO tank and that was allowing a small stream of sanitary sewage into the discharge point upstream of Chedoke Creek.”

The gate is now closed, and no more waste is going into the creek.

The city has no idea exactly how much waste went into the water but now they know exactly what it was.

“What people are flushing down toilets, dishwasher, laundry, all that stuff.”

Crews have been working throughout the day clean up the creek, breaking up the sewage at the surface.

“We’ve had a contractor in this area this morning, working to clean the surface of Chedoke Creek. Corral floating material vacuum trucks to suck up the material take it way for disposal.”

The other locations where small traces of human waste were found, were at an overflow tank near the Chedoke Golf Course, and one further up the Chedoke Creek.

The creek looks a lot cleaner now than it did last Friday but it still smells like a sewage plant.

It is still unsafe to go in the water. City officials will continue to test the water and let people know when it’s safe again.