Winnipeg investigating 10 million litres of sewage spilled into Red River

The City of Winnipeg says it's investigating after a wastewater treatment plant unexpectedly released almost 10 million litres of untreated sewage into the Red River.

The city says two automated gates opened at about 1 a.m. Monday at the North End Water Pollution Control Centre.

It says no alarm went off and the gates remained open for close to three hours until a second alarm elsewhere in the plant alerted staff to the problem.

The spill is more than the 8.8 million litres of untreated sewage released from overflows in all of 2025, such as when the system is overwhelmed by heavy rains.

It comes as the city is working through a more than $3-billion upgrade of the North End treatment plant.

Last week, the federal government announced a $500-million commitment towards the third phase that would reduce phosphorus and other nutrients from flowing into the river.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2026.

By Ian Bickis | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.