BASEMENT FLOODING UPDATE

• Basement flooding is a huge problem not only in Ward 32 but in numerous parts of Toronto. Toronto Water has undertaken 33 Environmental Assessments (EA) in areas all across Toronto to determine causes of basement flooding and possible solutions.

•The City has an extensive plan to deal with the problem and public works projects are underway to upgrade and deal with it primarily in North York in this first phase - the hardest hit area according to studies.

•Ward 32 was added to the list of affected areas in 2009 and environmental assessments in the ward began in 2010 tp study the scope and scale of the problem. After the environmental assessment process is complete, in early 2012, Toronto Water will determine the sequence and priority of repair work needed, based on an established list of criteria.

• The time frame for these Toronto Water repairs is 2 to 5 years from the completion of the environmental assessment.

• The reason it takes 2 to 5 years to fix the problem relates to funding and resources available and the requirement to allow adequate time for a substantial multi-stakeholder consultation process, as well as fair and transparent tendering, planning and construction phases.

• Councillor McMahon is working with the Planning & Growth Management Committee and the Economic Development Committee to pass motions to temporarily change development rules in basement flood areas.

Causes of Basement Flooding

The causes are generally thought to be three-fold:

1. Infrastructure limitations
Water experts point out that the design of our infrastructure took place decades ago, limiting its effectiveness in current times. In some cases storm sewers and sanitary sewers are joined together and in other cases they are old and leaking, flow strangely or offer inadequate capacity.

2. Extreme Storm Events
One of the reasons our infrastructure is suffering is that there are more 100-Year storms and similar extreme weather events. As implied by the name a 100-Year storm is a storm of a magnitude that normally comes along once in 100 years. In the past 10 years Toronto has experienced eight 100-year storms. Most people believe that the increase in extreme weather events is caused by man-made climate change. Some think climate change is not man-made.

3. Basements and Owners
While it is usually not fair to blame builders and homeowners for these problems, it may be true in a few cases. Some basements were built in ways that invite problems. Toronto Water reports that it has tried to work with homeowners with flooding basements, by asking them to undertake special changes to their drainage mechanics etc. Most homeowners understand the problems as described in the foregoing and are grateful for the support. Sometimes owners cannot afford to help themselves or don't know their options.

If you have a flooding basement and don't know your options, Councillor McMahon's office can point you in the right direction to get help. Give us a call or send us an email.