‘Planned Discharge' Dumps 2 Billion Gallons Of Sewage Into River

Montreal officials are under fire for a plan to dump 2 billion gallons of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence, the city’s main river, over the course of a week.

“It is a scheme that officials in Canada's second largest city say is necessary as they replace old infrastructure in the sewage treatment system. They say the waste will be quickly diluted, but have advised people not to touch the water while the dump takes place,” BBC reported.

“The people of Montreal are also being asked not to flush medication, condoms or tampons down the toilet while the operation goes on. In all, some 8bn litres (2.1bn gallons) will be released,” the report said.

Mayor Denis Coderre said he understands why people are questioning the policy. "If we had other options, we would have taken them, but we had no other option," he said, per CNN.

City officials say the new policy will not harm fish populations or wildlife or taint drinking water supplies. “The project has been endorsed by experts from all levels of government, who agree that a planned discharge of sewage is better than an unplanned one,” the Associated Press reported.

Still, city residents are concerned about the new policy. “The term #flushgate has been trending in Montreal for the past day, alongside subjects as diverse as Justin Bieber's new album and Condon (nothing to do with items in the river, he's a Montreal Canadiens ice hockey player),” the report said.

“This being Quebec province, the French term — #EauxUsées (wastewater) — is also proving popular,” the report said.

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