By Pepper Parr
July 23rd, 2024
BURLINGTON. ON
There is a report created by the Regional government using data that resulted from 311 calls.
In order to be considered for an Ex Gratia grant from the Region people were required to report the flooding to their residence.
The report has been distributed to some of the members of Council and we would assume to City Hall.
The red blobs are locations where flooding took place
We have been reaching out to a Regional media contact who has assured us that she will get it to us.
We reached out to the city to see if the Communications people could get us – they sent us back to the Region.
Whenever information is withheld – you can bet more than your lunch money there is something they don’t want you to know.
The report is said to be a list of all the streets that experienced flooding along with the number of houses on each street that were flooded. Our understanding is that it is the number of houses and not the number of the house. So they can’t use privacy as an excuse.
Our sense is that the city doesn’t want the public to know where the flooding was concentrated because it might point to where there were failures on the part of either the city administration or the Regional administration – maybe both.
Ward 3 experienced the most flooding – much of it the result of failures to clear grates at the end of culverts.
Information always gets out. What surprises us a little is that the Region has already let the public know where the flooding took place. Admittedly the data provided is at a macro level – not at a micro street by street level.
When they withhold information – you might want to withhold your breath.
In the meantime local business people are helping out every way they can. One hospitality organization gave a person we would rather not name a big bunch of gift cards and asked that they be handed out.
Without breaking a sweat there are three things the City could do right now that would improve flood abatement practices: 1) find out where all the Release Catch Basins are, and follow up with homeowners to ensure these are open and unobstructed. The City has the survey maps, and knows where they are; 2) ask homeowners with swimming pools to reduce the water level in their pools so it is 6 – 18″ below the lip of the pool. This will reduce overland flooding during heavy downpours. 3) re-examine the number of catch basins on streets. Simply, there aren’t enough. Water takes the line of least resistance. More catch basins reduces the prospect of street and overland flooding.
The City and the Region have promoted installation of backflow valves and sump pumps. Very nice, in theory. However, even with subsidies, the costs associated are significant, and the construction mess involved is problematic. So, what about backflow preventers?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRXocyM25Gk
I claim no expertise in plumbing, but this installation is simple, and costs run $35 to $600. That’s a lot less than a sump pump and backflow valve installation, and most homeowners, I’m sure, would be willing to incur this cost.
KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN……especially after hearing Procedural Bylaws would only be waived to allow council “AND THE FOLKS COUNCIL WANTED TO HEAR FROM EXTRA TIME.” TRANSPARENCY IS A LEGISLATED REQUIREMENT”. Do we have it about a repeated disaster in our city,Mayor committed to fix cause? Readers need to Reply yes or nol