July downpours cause flooding headaches

According to Director General Duncan Campbell, the City has received between 15 and 18 claims for damage caused by flooding on July 11. Residents also experienced flooding due to rain on July 26, but exact numbers aren’t yet available as residents have until 15 days after the incident to notify the City Clerk’s office.

The problem would be larger in scale if not for a municipal bylaw that requires basement drains to be equipped with a backwater valve to prevent sewage from overflowing into a dwelling.

Campbell says that the City handles each claim individually, but investigates any potential problems with the sewage network in areas where multiple claims are made.

One potential problem area is Sunnyside Avenue, where a one-metre high fountain of sewage was seen emanating from a manhole by one resident. The person, who wished to remain anonymous as they are considering legal action in connection with the problem, said they have experienced somewhat regular flooding over the last five years. They have since had their garage tiled in an effort to counteract the ongoing problem.

Campbell said that for the most part the City’s sewage network is ancient but is constantly being improved. For instance, many pipes can have their lifetimes extended by being equipped with a liner whose installation doesn’t require the digging up of the surrounding area.

Campbell stated that the City is still making up for a lack of investment prior to Westmount’s demerger, and has put in a request for infrastructure money from the last federal budget.