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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, March 27, 2015 | 4 Region aims to prevent basement flooding by Bob Mitchell Special to the Beaver Halton is taking steps in hopes of preventing severe basement flooding as occurred in Burlington during last summer's torrential rainstorm. Phase 1 of a two-phase study has now been completed and the Region's Planning and Public Works Committee this week recommended spending up to $3.2 million on various infrastructure improvements recommended by a consultant to reduce the potential for future basement flooding from sanitary sewer backups in seven designated high-risk areas. The committee also recommended spending another $1.65 million to get homeowners to disconnect their downspouts from the sanitary and storm sewer systems. On Aug. 4 a major storm led to wide-spread flooding in Burlington. Several thousand homes were affected by the storm as a result of rainwater entering the storm and sanitary sewers. The flooding, considered the worst to hit the city in more than two decades, also closed major highways. As a result, the Region initiated several actions Save your time and money and let us do it for you! 6 VISITS - 12 TREATMENTS · YOU ARE COVERED SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL You Receive Your Complete and Unique Service. in November, including providing grants and subsidies for downspout and weeping tile disconnection and installation of backwater valves and sump pumps. Committee members were told based on the consultant's analysis, there were no deficiencies found in the wastewater system that could be deemed to have caused basement flooding under typical rainfall events in any of the high-risk areas studied. But last summer's storm was anything but typical. A comprehensive region-wide study is expected to be completed by mid-July. In the staff report, committee members were told that while sanitary sewers are designed to accommodate a certain amount of rainwater and groundwater infiltration and inflow, down- spout and weeping tile connections can quickly and severely overwhelm properly-designed, wellmaintained and operated wastewater collection systems. In severe storms such as the one that struck last August, these extraneous flows can surcharge the sanitary sewers and potentially lead to basement flooding, committee members were told. The Ontario Building Code no longer allows developers to build homes with connected downspouts but many older homes in municipalities across Canada still have such systems. In order to assist homeowners who had experienced multiple basement floods, Halton expanded its subsidy program following last summer's storm allowing for the immediate disconnection of sources of storm water and the installation of see Thousands on p.11 4 Weed control 4 Fertilizer 4 An Aeration 4 Soil check 4 Compost 4 Monitoring of weeds, insects, diseases, cutting and watering *Average Oakville Property $350* Book Now for Only TAx INCLUDED $100 We take our time to do a great job for you! SAVE inside today's Editorial Artscene Beaver www.insideHALTON.com Choose any individual service also mowing and nematodes for grubs. Kensington Lawns K For a thick, green and healthy lawn 6 22 Sports Classified 25 28 Holland Park Garden Home Hardware Oakville Marketplace Real Estate New Homes Barbara Beers Real Estate Starsky Fine Foods *All flyers not necessarily delivered to all homes 905.802.0158 Licensed by Ministry of the Environment www.KensingtonLawns.com For home delivery & customer service call 905-631-6095, 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington New subscriptions call 905-631-6095 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com Spend $50 and get a free bar of Cadbury ChoColate! SALE STARTS fRiDAY MARCH 27TH ENDS MoNDAY MARCH 30TH TUESDAY iS SENioR DAY 10% off foR SENioRS 20% off ALL E ASTER SToCK Hurry in fo rt election - Quant ities are Limited o f f % A 0 LL fRo 2 ZEN BUTCHERY PRoDUCTS he be st s Visit us on Facebook at burlingtonbritishgrocer.com Open Mon- Sat 10am- 6pm sunday 11am- 5pm Located at 1240 Burloak Drive (Corner of Burloak & Mainway) 905.332.3883 · www.facebook.com/thebritishgrocer