Just over $121,000 was spent cleaning up the waste that spilled from Mission’s old sewage pipe on May 19, but no further remediation will be needed, according to the city.
Most of the costs went towards the immediate cleanup action, with over $84,000 being spent on vacuum trucks; another $21,000 was spent on an environmental engineer, according to figures provided by Tracy Kyle, Mission’s director of engineering and public works.
Soil-test samples were received on June 13, Kyle said, and the site is now considered to be completely returned to its pre-spill state.
“No remediation was needed,” Kyle said. “Samples showed no differences between the impacted areas and the reference.”
The environmental engineer will be submitting a recommendation (with test results) to the province’s director of waste management, asking for a determination saying the site was not contaminated from the spill, Kyle said.
She said the city is still discussing liability with its insurer.
The spill was caused by a valve being left open by mistake by a contractor when the new sewage line was switched back to the old line during a storm.
Approximately 2.5 million litres escaped, affecting a 1.3 acre area. on the largest property in the city’s designated waterfront area.
There was no direct spillage into the Fraser River, and the sand and clay surface where the waste pooled is dense and hard to permeate, Kyle has previously said.
The city described it as a “communication failure,” and said they would be reviewing their protocols.