By Pepper Parr
August 16th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
I have a colleague who is fairly described as bookish.
His library is something to behold. The shelves cover all of two of the four rooms in the lower level of his home. Piles of books are scattered around the room.
Two chairs sit in front of a fireplace.
No video games just a laptop computer.
A couple of his neighbours were flooded – he was sparred. Had water come rushing into his home those books would have been destroyed; some are signed first editions.
There are close to 700 homes in the city where families are looking at furniture, appliances, children’s toys that are now spread out on the lawn or on the sidewalk waiting for a dump bin that they can toss it all into.
There will be some financial compensation – but those books would have been gone forever.
For those who did not suffer any damage – be grateful – you were lucky.
The biggest collection of incidents was in ward 3 where a grate over an 8 foot pipe was badly clogged that resulted in a neighbourhood being seriously flooded with 13 homes taking in water that rose from the basement to the main floor.
Much of the damage could have been avoided – all we had to do was ensure that grates were cleared regularly. Was there no reason that they could not be inspected monthly? Was not doing something like that the result of penny pinching on the budget side?
The fire department spends a considerable amount training its crews and ensuring that when there is a call the trucks roll out the doors of the fire department because the work needed to keep the men and women and the equipment in top condition is part of what they do and how they think every day.
We now live in a different time, our climate is going to be different for perhaps as much as 100 years. We now need to change as well.
We could have and should have begun changing 50 years ago – had we done that we would not be facing the climate we have now.
Councillor Sharman spoke disparagingly of people in his ward who had covered up drains on their property that resulted in their neighbours being flooded. For some unknown reason the city was not able to take action and remove the covering.
Councillor Sharman, taking part in the Council meeting virtually was, as usual, very direct.
Councillor Sharman said “I’ve heard of yards that have had significant impervious landscaping done in the last couple of years that directly resulted in overland water coming into neighbours, properties and basements.”
“Can we reopen our drainage and grading in such a way that we’re looking at our policy and our procedures to try to ensure that that grading and drainage inspections are being done when we know that permits are being requested.”
Sharman suggested that neighbours should be able to request an inspection if they know that some work’s being done that is questionable as far as drainage and grading in their neighbouring properties.
A lot of changes are going to have to be made. City Staff were on the problems quickly and very efficiently.
Staff put in a lot of time gathering data, preparing reports and being able to tell Council how the crisis was handled.
We now live in a different time, our climate is going to be different for perhaps as much as 100 years. We now need to change as well.
We could have and should have begun changing 50 years ago – had we done that we would not be facing the climate we have now.
So much jawing back and forth and no one mentioned that during an event like this, homeowners should stop showering and operating dish and clothes washers and yes depending on where you are, installing a backflow valve and/or pumping water out of your basement may be part problem and part solution.
“When the valve is closed, water can’t flow out of your house either. There is a certain amount of storage space in your plumbing system to account for this. But you may not want to shower and run your washing machine or dishwasher all at once during a major rainstorm or snowmelt event. Since none of your wastewater will be able to escape with the backwater valve closed, you could wind up flooding your own house.”
Source: https://www.squareone.ca/resource-centres/getting-to-know-your-home/backwater-valve
The Gazette is a bit off base when it says “Much of the damage could have been avoided – all we had to do was ensure that grates were cleared regularly. Was there no reason that they could not be inspected monthly? Was not doing something like that the result of penny pinching on the budget side?”
A major requirement imposed upon the developer of the home was to grade the property to specifications set out by a surveyor (not by city staff). The developer also had to install a huge culvert and large drain. The grading and drain were so efficient during the July storm that my sump pump never had to cycle.
My understanding is that most of the damage was caused by the City’s drainage system was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water that fell in a very short period of time.
There are many drainage ditches around the city that are located in backyards straddling adjoining private properties. The City has no way to monitor how these ditches are maintained. Much damage caused in the flood of 2014 was due to water being unable to flow as intended down these ditches because homeowners had planted trees in, or landscaped the ditches.
Every homeowner should as a matter of prudence have a sewer back up preventer installed in its outlet to the City’s sewer system. Minor cost with a huge benefit.
I have had the opposite experience to that of one writer here. During construction of a new home on a neighbouring property I had reason to call the City to question if the developer was confirming to the zoning and awarded variances. The City staff came out within a day or so of my call.
I’m tired of the same old whiners blaming the Mayor &/or Council for everything. All residents should take more responsibility and be self-accountable. Install a sewer back up preventer; do not obstruct or alter drainage ditches so as to prevent efficient water runoff; maintain those runoff ditches.
That’s why you’re a City Hall apologist David. BTW, those “sewer backup preventers”, as you call them, are not the answer that you believe they are. But, that’s just my whine. 😉
[queue Barker last word response]
Dear Whiner,
I would not have responded but you do not say why you believe back up preventers do not work. Just saying they do not work does not make it true. If you make a statement as if it’s fact you should substantiate it when asked to do so. Would you plase elaborate. But I don’t expect you to because I’m confident you have nothing to back up your statement. Please prove me wrong.
I was not apologizing at all. Sure the City has some blame to bear. I was just calling you out for your blinkered blaming.
Respectfully,
Apologist
Not much respect there, I think. For the record, I have explained my thoughts on the back flow valves in other comments if you would take the time to read them. However, and against my much better judgement, I will elaborate here. I have done research on the valves – some of it dating back to 2018 when I briefed our current Mayor on the specifics of a comprehensive water/flood management program. I have also taken the opportunity to fact check with several plumbers who are certified to install the devices. The consensus view is that the valves will often (usually) make the results of flooding even worse for neighbours who do not have them installed – simply the surging water/sewage has to go somewhere. If you expect every home to be installed with one, please consider the often difficult logistics and the cost (as much as $5000 for retrofit). The subsidy provided by the Region is, I believe, only $650.
On top of this the valves can contaminate your water with chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and other toxins that can cause illness. Even if properly installed, they can cause structural damage to the foundation by allowing sewer backup pressure to build up under the home. And if installed improperly, they will greatly exacerbate sewer backup. They must be regularly inspected and maintained. They are, as I have said elsewhere, a “mixed blessing”, not a universal panacea. Indeed, as I briefed the Mayor on July 13, 2018, they are symptomatic of a piecemeal remediation measure that places total accountability and most of the cost on the individual homeowner. At that time, she agreed.
I do not find your perspectives atypical of someone with your background. If I am not mistaken you come from the insurance industry – and have been very successful. Good on and for you but I believe that that industry has a tendency to stress personal accountability – particularly in the face of
costly or calamitous event. I understand that perspective but firmly believe in the overarching stewardship responsibilities of all levels of government. I believe that the City of Burlington has failed in this regard and continues to do so.
Have a good life sir.
Wow. Well, David, I guess I’m off your Christmas card list.
Hi, Lynn
I just checked it. It seems you were never on it. LOL
Enjoy the day.
Oh but I was.
Mr. Sharman’s statement, if not taken out of context, is callous and self-serving. It is probably true that the misguided actions of some home owners exacerbated the flooding problems but this, in the total array of all the observed issues and causes, represents such a miniscule part of the problem that the statement amounts to classic misdirection. What about the City culverts that are covered by debris and never inspected/never cleared? What about the lack of a comprehensive flood management program by the City including mandated use of a % of permeable surfaces for new developments, maintaining a necessary ratio of green space and tree canopy to housing and industrial buildings, permit inspections that include examination of known runoff grates and the identification of potential drainage issues through renovations and new builds? The list of the City inactions could go on and on but the point is that there is no comprehensive and integrated water management program and still no plan to develop one. Sharman was one of the 2014/15 Councillors who endorsed the very quiet conversion of the Jo Brant new building tax levy to a fund to improve the City’s aging infrastructure. So was Meed Ward. Not a bad move – although it should have been publicly debated. How much of these monies have been directed in any way to improvements in flood control and water management? I think that Mr.Sharman, as Deputy Mayor of the Exchequer, should provide an accounting.
Hi Blair,
I totally agree, and this information needs be provided forwith!
Blair, it is my understanding/impression that a large portion of damage caused by the 2014 flood resulted from homeowners interfering with the drainage dikes between the adjoining properties. A lack of sewer backup preventers installed in homes is another major cause. I do not have any access to actual information as regards to the 2024 floods but was strongly believe much damage was caused by these two same reasons. Notwithstanding that obviously the cavern dish floods was caused by to a very large extent the collapse of the 407 culvert. I wonder what statistics you have to support your assertion that these causes were miniscule as a proportion of the entire amount of damage.
It is refreshing to hear that grading and drainage will receive greater attention by the City. We will look forward to the action on this. The Auditor General of Ontario has identified areas that the Province needs to address for flood mitigation and climate change. 97% of flooding is urban flooding caused by overdevelopment, antiquated infrastructure and land use changes. It identifies greenspace to allow for proper grading and drainage. Examples would be the greenbelt, parks and open space, boulevards, setbacks (property line to foundations) and permeable lot coverage as important spaces not only for the rainfall to be absorbed but also for the tree canopy to have space to grow. The Province also has not updated their stormwater guidelines, which the municipalities are required to follow, to accommodate climate change. Ontarians are looking to the Province to respect the importance of the public to have a home that is safe and insurable – an important asset, the value of which many rely on to finance their retirement. Unplanned, uninsured renovations from climate change on a repeat basis will erode peoples quality of life and financial stability.
To bad that a lot of conservative so called common sense type of people didn’t see this occurring years ago.They like to say that those on the left keep doing the same things over and over and expect a different result. As the lyrics of an older song suggests “When will they ever learn”
While climate change impact on the city such as flooding has received a lot of media attention, rural communities experience “higher risks to health, safety and well-being from critical infrastructure decline or failure.” If power should go out, we have no running water, we are not connected to City water, as residence are on a well or cistern.
The danger with Snake Road is becoming extremely aggressive with street racer. This is why the community looks out for recommended areas of concern to hopefully reduce a collision. Storm water runoff in the area of Snake, is a huge concern as it is a curvy, hilly road.
Compared to urban dwellers, rural are more vulnerable to climate change in many ways and face extra challenges to adaptation as we are a small community that becomes forgotten
“At the same time, there’s some strengths as well, so there’s often a higher degree of social cohesion. People really look out for their Neighbours.”
North Aldershot
In our area, large builds with accompanying patios have been approved by the City planning staff. Then, when the next heavy rainfall comes the neighbours’ houses get flooded. Didn’t the City staff realize that ground water flooding can occur as a result of their desire to please builders and eliminate grassy areas or that the neighbours’ houses next door are getting flooded for the first time since 1955 now that the water absorption sites have been removed by their actions? Perhaps these floods will change the planning descisions.
Well this is rich. Time and again someone is renovating or building a new home on a lot, they request variances and neighbours dispute them at the Committee of Adjustment, often specifically saying that the plans are going to cause serious flood risk to neighbours, but that unelected, unaccountable body approves the variances anyway, and staff and council carry on. I know people who have done this and lost. I know people who have then complained to their councillor to no avail. The city literally won’t come out to inspect something questionable on a build which doesn’t seem to be in alignment with the variances they got, instead telling neighbours who want them to come and inspect and if necessary, stop the work; instead the city says no you’ll have to wait til it’s done and then we can see. Oh really? And you’ll then tear it all down?
I am tired of Councillor Sharman jumping on the Mayor’s “blame everyone but ourselves” mantra over and over again. What a simplistic, offensive and inaccurate summary of events by Sharman and any of the staff and council who pounced on this.