See a spill? Report it!

Help protect Vaughan’s water source and environment from spills

Have you ever been out in the community and spotted a substance, such as paint, gasoline or motor oil, spilled on a sidewalk, road, greenspace or waterway? Any liquid that looks abnormal in colour or has a visible sheen or film may be a sign of an environmental spill – a release of a pollutant that can be harmful to residents, property, plants, animals or the environment. The City is urging you to report spills immediately at 905-832-2281!

What’s a pollutant?

Some common examples of pollutants include:

• bleach and detergents.
• concrete, grout and other construction materials.
• fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
• motor oil, lubricants and other vehicle or engine fluids.
• paints, solvents and adhesives.
• pool chemicals.
• vegetable oils, including food scraps.
• and many others.

The City of Vaughan needs your help reporting these types of spills so staff can respond quickly! When reporting, please provide as much information as possible, such as the exact location or nearest address, what it is or looks like, if you saw how the spill happened and how long it may have been there.

The City takes all spills seriously, which includes the release of pollutants:

• into the environment, including rivers, streams and ponds.
• into the sanitary and stormwater sewer systems, including through maintenance holes or catch basins.
• from a structure, vehicle or other containers.
• that are abnormal in quality or quantity.

What the City does to manage environmental spills

After you report a spill to the City, staff will investigate and take appropriate action. This could include:

• setting up booms and other measures to contain the spill in a waterway.
• taking samples to help determine the substance.
• determining the potential cause of the spill by tracing it to its source.
• requesting a spill report from the person or business that caused the spill.
• mandating operational changes to prevent a future spill.
• restoring any damaged lands and infrastructure.
• notifying and updating the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ (MECP) Spills Action Centre. 

The resident or business that caused the spill will be responsible for the cost of the work to trace, clean up and restore property and infrastructure, as required.

For more information on environmental spills, visit the City’s spill and hazardous materials webpage.

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