Toronto has a major sewage issue after last night's storm
We may have a new contender for the weirdest thing to ride a local public transit vehicle in recent years — or the grossest thing, at least.
TTC officials confirmed on Wednesday that "a quantity of human waste" was found on a streetcar after Tuesday night's heavy rain storm in Toronto.
The streetcar in question, captured submerged on camera by multiple onlookers near King Street West and Sudbury Street, was seriously damaged by floods that ripped through the downtown core, forcing people to evacuate the vehicle and swim to safety at one point.
A #TTC streetcar was totally covered in water at King St. and the Sudbury underpass last night during #stormTO #Toronto #Torontoflood https://t.co/EGu6m1AMSV pic.twitter.com/TfUe0Zvrkq
— blogTO (@blogTO) August 8, 2018
Apparently, they were swimming through sewage.
This is how bad the flooding got last night on a #Toronto streetcar #stormTO https://t.co/BOnDABsOFE pic.twitter.com/C4N7KYFpw0
— blogTO (@blogTO) August 8, 2018
Toronto Star reporter Ben Spurr wrote on Twitter today the streetcar had sustained significant damage on account of both rainwater and "backed up storm sewer" liquid.
TTC spokesperson now confirms there was “a quantity of human waste” found in the flooded streetcar. It’s number 4471, for you trainspotters out there. I expect it will be thoroughly cleaned if/when it gets back on the road.
— Ben Spurr (@BenSpurr) August 8, 2018
Meanwhile, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper — a local charity dedicated to the protection of Lake Ontario — reported on Wednesday afternoon that last night's heavy rainfall had also caused a "sewage spill" in Toronto's Inner Harbour.
The organization advises that Toronto waterfront users avoid contact with the lake for at least 48 hours, due to a heightened risk of exposure to bacteria and waterborne illnesses.
"Toronto hit with huge rain storm last night," wrote Swim Drink Fish Canada President Mark Mattson similarly on Twitter this afternoon. "Be wary around Lake today. City still has CSO’s which means substantial sewage escaped untreated."
Toronto Harbour is full of sewage this morning. If you're in the area please please send us photos. Tag @LOWaterkeeper. And alert other water users to use caution this week #swimdrinkfish #Toronto #yyz pic.twitter.com/PInkoJnGm3
— Krystyn Tully (@krystynt) August 8, 2018
Basically, if outside smells like crap today... it probably is. Ditto for things that look like human waste.
There's an awful smell coming out of #UnionStation late this evening and what looked like raw sewage to me littered all over one of the entrances where construction is happening @TTChelps #Toronto
— Chris Jai Centeno (@ChrisJai) August 8, 2018
See you anywhere outside my shower, never again! Never!
