Montreal public health reports that bureaucratic delays are preventing the full opening of the Pierre‑Bédard sponge park in the Mercier‑Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve borough.
The $16 million facility, the city’s only sponge park, is connected to a combined sewer system designed to manage stormwater. Officials warn that when the park’s protective cap is removed and it floods, excess water could mix with sewer water, creating contamination risks.
The concern centers on the potential for flood water to combine with the sewer system, raising contamination hazards as the park awaits completion of required approvals.