FAQ: West end flooding and emergency responseOn July 24, the City of Ottawa experienced a rain event that dropped over 100 mm of rain in some neighbourhoods. This extreme rainfall event taxed the City’s sewer infrastructure and resulted in flooding in 23 different clusters across Ottawa. Due to the widespread flooding, City Council has asked for two presentations detailing what caused the flooding and the City’s emergency response. The following questions and answers provide residents with an understanding of what happened during the rainfall event of July 24 and the City’s response. Emergency Response
Lessons Learned – Emergency ResponseCause of Flooding and Residential Restoration
Legal/CompensationMitigation Steps for Residents
General Information
Emergency ResponseQ: How quickly did the City respond to flooding calls made to the 3-1-1 Contact Centre?A: The City responded to 3-1-1 calls from residents within minutes. First Response crews of the City’s Environmental Services Department were dispatched at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 24. Surface Operations responded by 5 p.m. to calls of washed out roadways. Extra Surface Operations staff was called in to help unblock culverts. First Responders’ initial focus was to respond to reports of flooding on roads in Kanata and West Carleton, and basement flooding, predominantly in Kanata-area homes. Wastewater Collection staff was on the road completing their regular work in the area and called in more staff at approximately 7 p.m. The Wastewater Pumping Station Unit was activated at approximately 5 p.m. when the alarms were activated at two west end pumping stations. Regular staff handled both issues and two other staff members were called in at 6:30 p.m., three more staff at 8:30 p.m. and another staff member at 11 p.m. Staff worked throughout the night. Q: What was the pattern of calls to the City during the rainstorm? Did staff of the 3-1-1 Contact Centre notice a sustained increase in call volume, and how did staff respond?A: Call volume to the 3-1-1 Contact Centre was 25 per cent higher than a normal Friday-Saturday volume. Peak period occurred between 5 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday, with most calls occurring between 6 and 7 p.m. Calls during the peak period were 277% higher than the same time period for a comparative weekend. Given the increased call volumes, 3-1-1 responded by increasing staff by two, including a supervisor. In addition, two agents remained past the end of their shift to help support the operation. Q: Did some residents, as claimed, wait over an hour to speak with a 3-1-1 agent to report a flooding problem?A: Average call wait times were 15 minutes, with two instances of wait times of 21 minutes. No one waited longer than 21 minutes. Close to 70 clients chose to leave voice mail messages and were contacted within 3 hours. Q: What was done once the calls came in?A: Staff from the First Response and Wastewater and Drainage branches responded to calls as early as 5 p.m. on Friday. Surface Operations staff was also onsite at approximately 5 p.m. dealing with washed out roads and blocked culverts. First Response staff increased their capacity on Friday and was on-site meeting with affected residents late Friday and early Saturday and continued throughout the weekend on an extended basis. Staff continued to respond to residents on a call out/visit basis. Wastewater and Drainage staff was on site addressing wastewater collection and sewage pumping station operation throughout the night on Friday and Saturday. Q. What additional steps did the City take in the after-math of the flood (post-weekend)?A: Staff was mobilized to visit the affected areas to undertake investigations, complete health checks, arrange for temporary housing for those who could no longer safely stay in their homes and distribute information kits on flooding. Public Health Nurses and Public Health Inspectors completed more than 1,000 home visits. By-Law Officers, Fire Services and Paramedics personnel visited over 900 homes to discuss safety issues and concerns with the removal of contaminated materials from homes. Environmental Services staff completed over 1,250 site investigations. Additional garbage collection service was activated in the affected neighbourhoods. A reception centre was opened at the Kanata Recreation Complex on Tuesday, July 28. Forty people visited the reception centre to obtain information about City services, financial assistance, insurance claims, and alternative housing. Q: Are weekends and after-hours covered by employees? Was this weekend covered?A: All branches in Public Works use an on-call system to cover after-hours and weekend emergencies. If the emergency situation escalates the on-call person calls in additional staff and supervisors to coordinate the response. Over the July 24-27 period additional staff were called in from various branches to deal with maintenance requirements arising from the flood. The 3-1-1 Contact Centre called in additional staff to deal with the increased volume of calls. The Public Affairs team also has someone on-call after-hours and on weekends to handle media calls. Q: Did the City underestimate the weather forecast?A: No, Environment Canada’s forecast for Friday July 24 did call for rain but the 11 a.m. forecast mentioned localized rain events would amount to approximately 25 mm. An updated bulletin with a severe thunderstorm watch and warning was issued at 6:40 p.m. on Friday evening. Emergency ResponseQ: Does the City have an emergency response plan?A: Yes, the Provincial Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act requires the City of Ottawa to review and update the municipal emergency response plan annually. The City’s existing emergency response system has proven to be effective in dealing with major emergencies; however, during the rainfall, the escalation of information to senior City staff and emergency management personnel did not occur in a timely manner and a City-wide response was not put into place immediately. Cause of Flooding and Residential RestorationQ: Why did my basement flood? What happened?A: On July 24, 2009, two periods of intense rainfall occurred; one between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and another between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Some areas of the city experienced more than 100mm of rain. During this rain event, water at the Stittsville Pumping Station exceeded capacity, which led to a stormwater surcharge. This surcharge flooded area basements, which drained into the sanitation sewers causing another surcharge. This sanitation surcharge added extra pressure on the the Hazeldean Pumping Station and, combined with sanitation flows from the Glen Cairn Pumping Station, led to basement flooding in lower-lying areas. When too much flow enters the storm sewer, water backs up and collects on road surfaces, and it then comes out at the lowest open location. This may include basements via floor drains, window wells, a faulty cleanout cap or backwater valve, as well as maintenance holes in the middle of the road. The sewers were built to handle flows from typical rainfall events, and the physical infrastructure functioned as intended. However, the high rainfall levels experienced on July 24 exceeded the normal operating capacity of the system and led to flooding. New homes are protected from water entering the basement, but in extreme rainfall events water infiltration may occur through a number of points – through subsurface foundation cracks, window wells and the plumbing system. Q: Did a lack of system maintenance contribute to sewer blockages and backups?A: Spot inspections of storm and sanitary sewers are being undertaken to determine if debris in sewers could have been a contributing factor for localized basement or surface flooding. While some debris has been discovered, it was not enough to lead to such wide spread flooding. Q: Did these affected homes have backwater valves installed?A: The City’s Sewer Design Guidelines requires the installation of a backwater valve on a perimeter foundation drain. Not all homes had backwater valves installed because many were built before the implementation of the sewer design guidelines.
It is important to note that backwater valves require periodic maintenance to ensure that the valve is free of debris and to ensure its proper functioning. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to carry out periodic maintenance and retain a qualified tradesperson to undertake the maintenance. Q: Will the City check backflow prevention devices across the community?A: The City does not currently plan to make private home inspections of any installed backflow prevention devices. For residents without backflow prevention devices on their sanitary services, the City recommends consideration of the Residential Protective Plumbing Program, and/or retaining the services of a licensed plumber. Q. What steps are being taken to limit the potential for future flooding in highly impacted areas of the city and when will those measures be undertaken?A: The City has retained the services of Greenland Engineering to undertake an independent review of the analysis done by City staff. This is being done to ensure that all causes have been identified, all solution options have been considered and City Council is provided an independent opinion on staff recommendations. In the meantime, the City is taking a number of steps to help limit future flooding across Ottawa, including:
Q: Why do we have storm sewer overflows located in the basement? Why can’t these be located outside?A: According to the Ontario Building Code, the backwater valve must be accessible to allow for periodic maintenance. The location of the clean out in the interior of the home allows for access to the storm lateral in the event of blockage and periodic maintenance. Although placement of backwater valves (approved for exterior installations) outside of the building is permitted, external installations would otherwise require the device be accessible through an exterior vertical access chamber. Installations are however subject to freezing, and additional provisions may be required to keep the chamber accessible at all times. Q: What is the code for installing backwater valves?A: The authority requiring the installation of the backwater valve on a foundation drain is in the City of Ottawa Sewer Design Guidelines through Bylaw 2003-513. Where required, the Ontario Building Code regulates the installation details and type of device. Q: Are all new homes inspected for plumbing?A: Yes, the plumbing system (and the backwater valve) is inspected for compliance to the Ontario Building Code. These inspections are conducted at the installation of underground plumbing, at rough-in inspection of pipes and connections and at the final inspection stage. The backwater valve is inspected at the underground inspection prior to the placement of the basement slab and again at final inspection where the valve chamber is visually inspected. Q. Can backwater valves prevent sanitary water from moving back up into the foundation drain?A: Yes, but backwater valves on sanitary services are only required on new or upgraded service laterals in the combined sewer area or in areas with a history of flooding. Legal/CompensationQ: How do I go about getting compensation for the damage to my home and belongings?A: Residents should contact their insurance company who will properly document a claim. Insurance companies may decide to submit claims to the City on behalf of residents. The City will complete a thorough investigation into the cause of the damage, which will include an assessment of whether the City has any legal liability. A resident can submit a claim to the City’s Claims Unit, regardless of whether the resident has insurance or not. The process is available at “How to submit a claim”: In order to submit a claim to the City, the notice of claim should be in writing (as required by statute) and contain the following information:
Correspondence may be submitted to our office as follows: 110 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1J1 Mitigation steps for residentsQ: Where do I get information about cleaning up my home after the flood?A: The City of Ottawa has two pamphlets with all the information you need. Call 3-1-1 to obtain print copies. If your sewer backs up or your basement floods... Homeowner's guide to sewer surcharging clean-up Q: Who can I call if I need more health-related information or if I have health concerns?A: Call Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744. Q: What other steps can I take to prevent my house from flooding?A: All residents are encouraged to participate in the City’s Residential Protective Plumbing Program. Protective plumbing methods can range from installation of approved backwater valves to sump pumps and reconfiguration of footing drainage through to the installation of an approved full-port backwater valve on the building's sanitary drain connected to the main City sewer.
Here are other tips that can also help:
Q: How can I protect my valuables?A: Do not leave valuables, collectibles or family heirlooms on the basement floor. Make sure all valuable are stored in water-resistant containers.
General InformationQ: I do not have access to a computer, where can I go to get web access for more information?A: A number of City buildings have public computer access sites. Locations in the area where you can access a computer are:
Q: Did Council approve any motions September 2, 2009?A: Council approved the waiving of the sewer surcharge on residents’ next water bill for homeowners who experienced flooding as result of the rainfall event. Charges for replacement copies of bills, statements or documents damaged in the flood issued by the City have also been waived. |
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