Exploring Hamilton's Drains and Sewers
Hamilton's history has been fraught with drama over the state of its water supply. A succession of crises concerning typhoid, cholera and yellow fever, underbuilt wastewater infrastructure, and a polluted harbour have all shaped the politics and contemporary strategies of water and wastewater in the city. In recent decades, Hamilton has succeeded in separating portions of its sewer system and peppering the map with overflow storage tanks to reduce the frequency of overflows from its combined sewers. The work presented on this page, done mostly before 2005, is very incomplete and could be expanded considerably.
Overflow and Relief Sewers
 |
Chedoke Falls Drain Hamilton Mountain storm sewers outfall as a spectacular curtain waterfall |
 |
Main-King Combined Sewer Overflow Tunnel Strange sidepipe in an unremarkable creek culvert leads to enormous wall and storage tanks |
 |
Stonechurch Storm Trunk Sewer Enormous storm trunk drains most of the southern Mountain, south of the Linc |
 |
Wellington Street Sewer Red brick and concrete arch tunnels lead from downtown Hamilton to steel plant harbour |
Storm Sewers
 |
Chedoke Creek Diversion Sewer Fascinating creek sewer includes two enormous flights of concrete spillway stairs |
 |
Chedoke-Westinghouse Culvert Disused tunnel once carried Chedoke Creek tributary, now only drains creek's former draw |
 |
Glover Mountain Falls Drain Interesting small drain carries run-off from Glover Mtn. Falls to Red Hill Creek |
 |
Goulding Avenue Falls Drain Very small West Mountain waterfall fed by local storm sewers |
 |
Nebo-Rymal Road Storm Sewers Complicated storm system on Hamilton's southern fringe |
 |
West Cliffview Falls Drain Moderately-sized Hamilton storm sewer feeds ribbon waterfall |
Have a suggestion, question or comment about this article, or anything else on the website? Send an e-mail to the author at michael@vanishingpoint.ca, or use this contact form.
Michael Cook is available to speak to your organization about infrastructure history, lost creeks, current conditions, and opportunities for change in our management of and communication about urban watersheds, and to work with teams proposing or implementing such change. Get in touch.
Michael Cook is available to speak to your organization about infrastructure history, lost creeks, current conditions, and opportunities for change in our management of and communication about urban watersheds, and to work with teams proposing or implementing such change. Get in touch.
