City using drone to map Chedoke Creek and doing sediment testing to prepare for dredging

Hamilton city crewsare using a drone tomapChedoke Creek, Princess Point and the eastern shoreline of Cootes Paradise as part of an effort to clean up after a four-year, 24 billion-litre spill of sewage and stormwaterthere.

The city says it's doingthe work, as well as sediment testing,to prepare for theclean up and dredging the ministry ordered.

Thatorder said the city needed to remediate the area Oct. 31, 2021, but the city has previously said itprobably won't meet the province's deadline.

In a media release Friday, the city saidthe drone will help pickspecific locations and details for future dredging, while the testing will show thechemical composition within each layer of sediment.

The issue dates back to January 2014, when a bypass gate at the city's combined sewer overflow (CSO) tank at Main and King streets was left partially open.

For four years, the city says, that went undetected. In that time, 24 billion litres enteredChedoke Creek, whichflows into Cootes Paradise and Hamilton Harbour.

Following a ministry investigation into the leak, the province charged the city.

A court summonsdated Dec. 8, 2020, outlines the charges,which are both linked to causing or permitting raw sewage to be discharged.