Watermain break at Woodside Square sends discoloured water into Highland Creek

A watermain break at Woodside Square mall sent discoloured water into Highland Creek in north Scarborough, and as of Wednesday evening no timeline has been set for cleaning up the creek.

The break is at 1571 Sandhurst Circle, the address of the Woodside Square mall. Discoloured water was seen pooling along the creek at Iroquois Park, about half a kilometre south of where it discharges just south of Finch Avenue East, east of Brimley Road. The mall property edge sits roughly 250 metres east of that discharge point. A video of a white substance pouring into the creek was posted to a Toronto subreddit Tuesday morning; moderators removed it. City crews placed a few booms on Tuesday afternoon to slow or stop the discharge, but the pooling at Iroquois Park continued.

Woodside Square said the release was water along with naturally occurring soil and sediment displaced by the break. The mall said the break happened Tuesday, crews were called in immediately, and the repair was completed around 3 a.m. Wednesday. It said it has arranged cleanup of the affected area and is working with the City of Toronto. No representative was available for an on-camera interview.

Liza Ballantyne, director of environment and emergency planning at Toronto Water, said the City is "not aware of any harmful substances being discharged." She said City staff had given the property owner and contractor direction on the steps required to safely manage the cleanup, and that the owner had been advised to contact the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for direction on Highland Creek cleanup requirements. On Wednesday she said directions and timeframes for the property owner fall to the province. She also said she recognized the disruption to nearby residents and thanked them for their patience. No timeline for finishing the creek cleanup has been given.

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks had not responded to CityNews inquiries as of Wednesday evening. It is also unclear what water quality testing, if any, will be done, or what entered the creek besides water.

The break is separate from two earlier spills in West Highland Creek this year. In July, a Metrolinx contractor's chemical spill contaminated the creek; in September, a second spill linked to the Scarborough subway extension fouled it again. Under Ontario law, polluters must notify the province of a discharge and pay for cleanup. If a polluter refuses, the province can order the work done and bill the polluter.