Essex Council directs admin to review standard verses water-tight manhole covers

Local Journalism Initiative

April 26, 2024 at 12:45 p.m.·2 min read

Council for the Town of Essex supported Councillor Jason Matyi’s motion, which directed Town Administration to prepare a comprehensive report that compares water-tight manhole covers to standard manhole covers.

Originally, he brought this forward as a Notice of Motion at the February 20 Regular Council Meeting, but it was deferred a few times before being discussed at the local municipal decision-making table at the April 15 meeting.

Council’s approval will include having Administration conduct a study to assess the feasibility and benefits of water-tight manhole covers in specific context for Essex; review studies, collaborate with professional networks, and review municipal practices to determine the feasibility of standardizing water-tight manholes; and then present the comparative report to Essex Council for further discussion and consideration.

Matyi explained Town staff and Council noticed the effects of increased rainfalls and the impact to the sewer system. The Town’s response during one of the significant storms last year was having to release partially-treated sewage into Lake Erie.

Town of Essex staff hosted an educational session on drainage with Council back in September, which went over details regarding the severe storms that swept through the region on August 23 and 24, 2024–of which the Northern Tornadoes Project confirmed separate tornadoes touched down in Windsor, Tecumseh, and Cottam during the latter.

During that meeting last fall, Rob Mackie, Manager of Environmental Services for the Town of Essex, explained the Colchester Lagoon System on August 24 experienced 14x the daily volume average.

This was the first time in the history of the Colchester Lagoon where the plant underwent a partial bypass, where partially-treated sewage was sent into the lake to relieve the system.

Mackie added the average annual rainfall at this plant is 91mm. Over the 24-hour period, it received around 190mm, or 20percent of the annual precipitation.

The Harrow Lagoon experienced 8x the daily average flow rates. The Essex Wastewater Pollution Control Plant experienced a 9x increase in the average daily volume. The North east Lagoons experienced 4x increase in the average daily volume flowrate.

Last week, Matyi said he hopes that would never happen again, but believes a way to prevent that would be by using water-tight manhole covers. To his understanding, they prevent contamination and reduce flooding risks. He hopes that would be confirmed through the Report from Administration to be prepared, thanks to Council support of his motion.

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley commended Matyi on the motion and was impressed with the work he put into it.

Mayor Sherry Bondy believes this is one piece of the puzzle to work towards flooding mitigation.

Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

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