Portsmouth sewage rerouting to affect traffic along Kingston waterfront for 2 years

A major sewage project is set to slow traffic on one of Kingston’s main roads for the next two years.

Work has already begun along a stretch of King Street and Front Road in the west end.

Sewage from Portsmouth Village, which is currently pumped to Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Facility in the city’s east end, will be redirected to the much closer Cataraqui Bay treatment plant.

Utilities Kingston says the sewage redirection will free up capacity in the centre of the city and save energy.

“We end up having to pump sewage three times to get it to Ravensview,” said Jim Miller with Utilities Kingston.

“When we reverse that flow we only pump it once, so greenhouse gas emissions, climate action, all of those initiatives are very positive in the sense of what we’re going to be saving from an operating expense.”

The $40-million infrastructure project, which the city has called the Portsmouth turnaround project, will be done in phases.

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Currently, Phase 2A is underway and 2B will start later this year, with work meant to be completely finished by 2024. Roadwork is meant to be complete in 2023 but the final year of work will be done at the Cataraqui Bay treatment facility.