Deputy City Manager Nancy Schepers called the report very disappointing. She said it is now their top priority to create a culture of standards compliance.
Orleans Councillor Bob Monette called the findings of the report very frustrating, but he was convinced the city is taking the proper steps to move forward.

Published: October 23, 2008 5:23 a.m.

Last modified: October 22, 2008 11:30 p.m.

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An investigation into the August 2006 spill that dumped nearly a billion litres of raw sewage into the Ottawa River was the result of “incompetent management” and a culture of misunderstanding, the city’s auditor general said yesterday.

According to the report from Alain Lalonde, the Wastewater and Drainage Service Division showed “an almost complete lack of proper preventative maintenance and proactive management of [regulator gates]” and “a culture of not understanding the significance of sewage spills.”

In interviews conducted with City employees, Lalonde said he got the impression that, even now, in their minds it was not a serious event.

“Management were kind of blase about this kind of thing, which I believe is a very serious issue,” said Lalonde.

In August 2006, a sewage flow regulator gate near Keefer Street was jammed open for 10 days before it was discovered and repaired. According to the American Public Works Association, those gates are supposed to be inspected weekly and after each rainfall.

However, the City was only inspecting the gates once per month. The report also says the reduction was due to “a lack of resources,” but the document also notes, the Wastewater and Drainage Services Division posted surpluses of more than $500,000 for each of the last three years. Lalonde said weekly inspections would cost around $110,000.

“Proper maintenance was not there. The standards are there to regulate that. Money was not an issue. People were properly trained. It’s not a complex situation,” he said.

Alarms that would have alerted sewage engineers of a blockage failed shortly after amalgamation and were never repaired. The report has identified a total of 16 spills between 1998 and 2008.

Auditor general staff member Ray Kostuch said there were also issues of misunderstanding when spills should be reported to the Environment Ministry.

“Management often referred to these as extended combined sewer overflows. That’s not what they are at all. They are spills, and that was part of the culture of not understanding,” he said.