Important health, well water, waste disposal and road closure information in response to storm

Whitby, Ontario – The Regional Municipality of Durham is sharing important information for residents affected by the recent storm, including road closures, food safety tips, well water safety, and the safe disposal of yard waste at the Waste Management Facilities (WMFs).

Health information:

Food safety
For residents whose refrigerators were impacted due to power outages, ensure that any food above 4 degrees Celsius is discarded. When in doubt, throw it out. More information is available on the Durham Region Health Department Food safety page and on the Government of Canada’s Food safety in an emergency page.

Flooding and drinking water
If the water in your well was affected by flooding, stop using the water from your home immediately. Test your well water first before using. Do not use the water, even if you have a disinfection system. Learn more on the Durham Region Health Department’s Flooding page.

Well water
Well water can become contaminated after extreme weather and flooding. Ensure your well water is safe during and after emergencies on the Government of Canada’s Be Well Aware page.

General well water information
Residents with private wells can get more information about well water maintenance and safety on the Durham Region Health Department’s Private wells page.

Storm debris disposal:

Waste Management Facilities (WMFs)
To support residents in the safe disposal of debris caused by the storm, Durham Region’s WMFs will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. as of Tuesday, May 24 until Saturday, May 28.

Leaf and yard waste
Waste Management Facilities will also accept any leaf and yard waste that is dropped off over the next two weeks (until June 6 unless otherwise extended). Additionally, the typical fee for Durham Region residents using the WMFs will be waived for leaf and yard waste to support the storm recovery. Learn more about WMFs at durham.ca/WMF.

Residents in Town of Ajax, Municipality of Clarington, City of Pickering and the Townships of Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge can also take advantage of their curbside leaf and yard waste curbside collection on their scheduled collection date.

Please note: Leaf and yard waste collection for Oshawa and Whitby residents is the responsibility of those individual municipalities, not the Region of Durham. These residents are asked to check their waste calendars, or contact their local municipality, regarding the collection of leaf and yard waste.

For the most up-to-date information on power outages and planned restoration times, refer to the Elexicon, Oshawa Power, and Hydro One outage websites.

For the latest news and updates on service disruptions, please follow the Region of Durham on Twitter and Facebook, or visit our website at durham.ca.

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For media requests, please contact CorporateCommunications@durham.ca.

Read the full public service announcement on the Region of Durham's website.