Waste from illegal camp in watershed called 'despicable'

Taxpayers in St. John's are on the hook for the cost of cleaning up a mess — including human waste — left behind by an illegal trailer camp in a protected watershed area.

Coun. Tom Hann said dozens of people set up a trailer camp in the Thomas Pond, which is southwest of Cochrane Pond.

Hann said what they left behind is "disgusting" and will not be tolerated.

"It's probably one of the most despicable and abhorrent, unbelievable sights that I've seen," Hann said.

"People camp there all summer long and leave garbage strewn all over the area, even to the point of sewage lines put down in a hole, dug in the ground and covered up, and then hooked up to the trailers [with] raw sewage is going into the ground."

Hann called that a significant problem as nearby Thomas Pond has been identified as a future water supply for the St. John's area.

"So what we have now is a reserved watershed area, and right smack dab in the middle of that, you have all of this going on," Hann told the St. John's Morning Show.

City workers also found another dumpsite nearby that contained shingles, appliances and old asphalt that been pulled up from driveways.

"It's just an utter mess," Hann said.

Hann said the city has installed security cameras in other areas where illegally dumping is known to have taken place, with 10 people charged so far - seven of whom have already been fined. As well, city staff have found that dumping has dropped in those areas.

The Thomas Pond area will be monitored next year.

"I would issue a bit of a warning, that next year people are not going to be camping in a protected area with a future water supply," he said. "We are just going to have to take legal action in not allowing it."

Hann said the city will tow away trailers and other camping gear to a city impound.