Dresden tomato plant’s wastewater expansion surprises neighbors

DRESDEN – A tomato processing facility’s wastewater system here is being expanded after a heavy rainfall in recent summers sent some overflow into the Sydenham River.

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An amended environmental compliance approval was issued to ConAgra by the Ontario’s Environment Ministry this month to expand its existing storm water management system.

An email from the ministry said ConAgra’s “fresh pack” season, running from about mid-August to mid-October, uses large volumes of water to process truckloads of tomatoes, creating wastewater from washing and steaming/cooking.

“In the summer of 2021 and 2023, the company and the ministry noted concerns after significant rainfall,” the ministry said. “(Adding) vast amounts of rainwater into the wastewater treatment system contributed to overland flow of partially treated wastewater into the Sydenham River.”

ConAgra’s March 25 application to amend the plant’s environmental compliance approval for storm water and industrial wastewater treatment was approved July 8, the ministry said.

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“In their application, the company indicated that in 2021, due to high rainfall, the combination of irrigation water and stormwater runoff overtopped the reservoir and . . ,. water flowed directly to the East Sydenham River,” the ministry said.

The amendment allows the company to expand the volume of its reservoir to provide flood protection during major storm events, the ministry said.

“The ministry is satisfied with the continued actions of the company to ensure protection of the environment,” it said.

The amendment does not include any changes to the tomato processing plant, the ministry added.

The amended approval notes the stormwater and industrial wastewater treatment facility is within a 31.6-hectare drainage area on the southeast corner of Wellington and Sydenham streets in Dresden that includes a 23.7-hectare spray irrigation field.

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The amendment calls for expanding the existing flood reservoir to a surface area of ​​13,425 square meters for a storage capacity of 23,262 cubic meters and depth of 1.8 m.

Dresden and area residents have been on edge since learning this year that Mississauga-based York1 Environmental Waste Solutions proposes a massive expansion of an existing dormant landfill site less than a kilometer from the community. Among residents’ concerns is the risk of contaminating the Sydenham River.

In comment on the Environmental Registry of Ontario for the ConAgra amendment, the ministry noted the project is “not connected in any way to the York1 proposal.”

The ConAgra project will “improve the management of water from ConAgra’s spray field to temporarily store and pump the water to the municipal wastewater treatment plant,” noting it’s a common method used to manage vegetable processing wastewater.

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ConAgra could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Sections of ConAgra’s wastewater treatment facility run alongside Lambton Kent composite school’s field and behind some homes on Trerice Street in Dresden.

Expansion of the storm and wastewater system surprised some residents whose homes back onto the area where a large berm is being built.

Steve St. Pierre said he didn’t receive any notice of the expansion.

Other than work on a concrete water storage pit a few years ago, he said he hasn’t seen anything happen at the site in the 20 years he’s lived nearby.

“Then this year, they go back there like gangbusters,” St. Pierre said.

Another resident, who didn’t want to be named, said he only found out about the project the day work began.

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“Nobody knew anything about it, so we started checking things out and couldn’t find out anything,” he said. “If they’re not doing anything wrong, why is it such a big secret?”

The resident noted wastewater from the plant has been sprayed in the area for more than 60 years, which raises the concern now that dirt is being dug up to create the berm.

St. Pierre said if he was to build a fence, he would talk to his neighbor, which is the neighborly thing to do.

“I’m disappointed they didn’t go up and down the street with some flyers or something) to inform people,” he said.

The work has created a large amount of dust at times, in addition to the noise of large machinery being operated.

The resident is concerned heavy truck traffic will damage the street.

Cones he put on the corner of his yard to keep heavy vehicles off of it have been “flattened three times,” St. Pierre said, adding his wife was told any damage will be repaired.

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