Labour Disruptions

"Strike" (1895) by Mihaly Munkacsy.

Re: Smelly cities—looks like I spoke too soon.

Just days after I posted about Halifax’s stinky sewage dilemma, Toronto’s Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) went on strike, causing interruptions to several City services, including city-run daycare centres, ferry services and parks and recreation programs—not to mention garbage collection.

Oh, and water and sewer services.

The City’s contingency plan assures residents that water supply and sewage treatment systems will continue to function within established safety and quality standards. But the plan is really being put to the test—this morning, as if right on cue, Toronto saw a massive watermain break at Martin Grove Road and Rexdale Boulevard. Currently, surrounding businesses have no water, and police have shut down the entire area. How will the strike affect response and repair in this and other emergency situations?

This morning I spoke with Lou Di Gironimo, general manager of Toronto Water, who says that water and sewer services can perform “indefinitely” without the aid of its usual frontline workers. “We’ve got our contingency plan,” he says. “Our facilities are being operated by the plant management staff.”

Management teams are providing emergency services, too. In today’s case of a 16-inch pipe break, normally frontline staff would provide the first response, assessing and isolating the break. Instead, management teams are on the scene, and, says Di Gironimo, “We would have used contracted services to repair these breaks anyhow.”

“This particular break might take a day or so to repair,” says Di Gironimo. “We’re trying to get service back as soon as possible.”

Luckily for both the City and Toronto residents, “Toronto Water has always provided service as a blend between in-house and contracted staff,” says Di Gironimo. For now, the only jobs being left undone are the preventative maintenance programs, which include hydrant flushing and catch basin cleanings. “We could probably go several weeks or months without these being done,” says Di Gironimo.

Until the strike is over, residents having trouble with the following water or sewer services should call Access Toronto at 416-338-0338:

• Severe basement flooding
• Flooded road surface
• Blocked sewer connection
• No water supply
• Interruption in water service because of a broken water main or local construction
• To report a broken or leaking water main
• To report blocked storm sewers
• An emergency shut-off of water supply (flooding)
• To report a spill (such as oil or chemical)
• For water quality issues such as rusty water

All non-essential services are suspended.