York Durham Sewage System

The York Durham Sewage System (YDSS) is a state-of-the-art wastewater collection system, first constructed by the Province of Ontario in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The idea for the YDSS – a centralized sewage system – dates back to 1965 when the province decided that no additional sewage treatment plants could be built on the Humber, Don and Rouge Rivers.

The YDSS converges at the jointly operated (York Region and Durham Region) Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) located in the City of Pickering on the shore of Lake Ontario.  Fully treated water is discharged into Lake Ontario.

The YDSS continues to serve as one of the best and most environmentally friendly systems in the entire Great Lakes region.

Upgrading capacity:

Twinning (or expanding) the YDSS is critical to ensuring adequate wastewater treatment for current and future York Region residents and businesses. York Region's population is expected to increase to more than 1.5 million by 2031.

In 1997, the Region completed the Master Plan Study for the YDSS.  This master Plan was completed to identify and review current conditions and future alternatives necessary to meet population projections in the Region.

In 2002, the YDSS Master Plan was updated to reflect current planning forecasts and to confirm the timing of required infrastructure.