HOWEA Labour Disruption Updates

All essential water, wastewater, and storm water service remain fully operational. The City has activated its contingency plans to ensure the continued, uninterrupted delivery. Some non-essential services may experience temporary adjustment.  

Essential services continuing without interruption include: 

• Operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment facilities 
• Ongoing monitoring of drinking water and wastewater systems 
• Collection of all required regulatory water samples and response to spill reports 
• Redirecting waste haulers from Woodward Avenue to the Upper Ottawa Waste Transfer Station 
• Continued essential services at the Hamilton Water Storefront (330 Wentworth Street), including permit sales, appointment scheduling, and the sale of water truck and waste hauler tickets (available in person or by credit card over the phone) 

Some non-essential services may be temporarily impacted, including: 

• Some Internal programs 
• Engineering design studies 
  • Certain water quality monitoring  (i.e. Surface Water Quality Program; In-pipe Sewer Sampling Program and the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Sewer Discharge Sampling Program)
• By-law administration/enforcement 

Check back regularly for the most up-to-date information and service impacts.

Yes. There is no risk to the quality or safety of drinking water. All regulatory monitoring, sampling, and treatment continue to meet provincial standards. The City has contingency plans in place and is committed to maintaining safe and reliable drinking water for all residents.

Yes. Well maintenance and water testing services continue without interruption.

Yes. Hamilton Water Storefront Operations (330 Wentworth Street) will continue to provide essential services, including the sale of permits, appointment scheduling, and the sale of waste hauler and water truck tickets. These services will be available both in person at the storefront and over the phone. Purchases made over the phone must be completed using a credit card.

Most essential services will continue as usual. 

Some non-essential services may experience temporary adjustments, including internal programs, engineering design studies, some water quality monitoring and by-law administration/enforcement.

Hamilton Water has implemented contingency plans approved by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. Experienced non-union managers are maintaining operations with contractor support where required. The City operates in a highly regulated environment and continues to meet all safety, health and environmental standards.

On a typical weekday, about 15 operators work at water and wastewater facilities, with fewer staff scheduled overnight or on holidays. While 55 union members are on strike, not all positions are required to maintain essential services. Non-union staff and contractors are adequately covering operational needs during the disruption. The City can continue delivering services during this labour disruption for as long as necessary.

Some residents reported low water pressure and discoloured (cloudy or yellow-brown) water on May 20, 2025. The City received a total of six (6) low pressure complaints and four (4) water quality complaints.

These are considered very low numbers in a city with a population the size of Hamilton.

The cause of the issue was related to known, planned work that caused a localized pressure change and temporary discolouration in an area of Stoney Creek that is at a higher elevation - this was not related to the ongoing labour disruption.

Staff responded immediately by flushing local water mains. Residents who reported these concerns to the City were advised to flush internal plumbing to help clear household lines.

There may be impacts to transit because of picketing activity during the labour disruption. Stay up to date on transit impacts through HSR and City social media channels and the alert system through the real time GTFS feed. Thank you for your patience and please leave extra time for travel.

After careful consideration, the City has made the tough decision to cancel the Children’s Water Festival due to the impact of the labour disruption. All our available resources are focused on ensuring essential water, wastewater and stormwater services continue without interruption to our residents. We sincerely thank our teachers, schools, residents and partners for their support and understanding. We look forward to bringing it back in 2026.

There are 55 HOWEA members on strike. They work in skilled trades and operations roles within Hamilton Water, including water and wastewater treatment operations. There are approximately 371 Hamilton Water employees in total (union and non-union positions).  

The City remains committed to the collective bargaining process and to working with HOWEA to reach a renewed collective agreement that is fair for workers and fair for taxpayers.

On May 26, 2025, the City and HOWEA met with a provincial mediator to reach a fair and responsible resolution within Council’s financial mandate for collective bargaining. The City’s offer to HOWEA is consistent with the collective bargaining agreements reached with 8 other unions at the City, covering over 6,000 employees, in this round of bargaining. Though the meeting was unsuccessful, the City remains open to continued dialogue and committed to returning to the bargaining table as soon as possible.

There is no anticipated impact on water bills or property taxes at this time. The City is committed to maintaining service continuity and fiscal responsibility. 

No these watermain breaks are completely unrelated. During the week of May 19, 2025, Hamilton Water responded to and repaired five watermain breaks within a concentrated area on the east mountain, specifically bounded by Upper Sherman Avenue to Upper Ottawa Street and from Mohawk Road East to Limeridge Road East.   

Hamilton Water has completed its investigation and determined that a malfunctioning pressure control valve was the cause of elevated water pressure in the area. The issue has been resolved, and pressure levels have returned to the normal operating range. Hamilton Water continues to monitor the system closely. These breaks are unrelated to the current labour disruption, and there is no impact on drinking water safety. The City will continue to respond to watermain breaks as required.

Odours are a normal part of the wastewater treatment process. While Hamilton Water maintains odour control systems and investigates complaints thoroughly, some odours may still occur. Odours can be more prominent when winds are blowing from Lake Ontario westerly across the city (prevailing winds are from west to east). The facility receives about 13 odour complaints annually, and the results of investigations are reported directly to the reporting individual.  

No. All odour control systems are operating properly. The City has not experienced abnormal odour issues at the facility since the labour disruption started.