Flood Update From Tecumseh

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The Town of Tecumseh estimates that they received approximately 150 mm in six hours Monday evening.

In comparison, the storm event in September 2016 saw 175 mm over six hours and 195 mm over 12 hours. During the July 2010 flood event, 89 mm of rain fell in a 24 hour period.  A 100 year storm event equates to 87 mm over six hours.

The town says that all pump stations were operating with storm water pumped directly into Lake St. Clair, not through any treatment systems.

In addition, town crews worked to remove any debris from grates leading to pump stations as water flowing to the stations was moving faster than usual, sucking a high volume of debris into the grates. Standing water on roadways indicates the sewer system was working—water on streets is normal as roads are designed to store the excess water for pumping.

“Unfortunately these extreme weather events are a new reality and municipalities cannot install the types of systems required to handle this high volume of rain,” says Mayor Gary McNamara. “The Town is doing its best to improve infrastructure. This includes investigating impacts and potential improvements to the current system, planning for the future and implementing systems to store the rain water that falls at extreme rates. We also
encourage our residents to take preventative action on their properties to protect themselves from flooding.”

Since the September 2016 flood event, the town says that more than 500 residents have received funding to install a backwater valve and/or disconnect their foundation drains from the sanitary sewer system and install a sump pump. The subsidy program is still available and residents are encouraged to apply. The program pays up to $800 of the cost to install a backwater valve.

The Town also held a Public Information Open House in January 2017 to share information and educate property owners on what they can do to protect their properties from flooding. More than 300 residents attended the event and spoke with representatives from local plumbing companies, the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

In October 2016, Tecumseh applied for and was successful in receiving a $3 million grant to improve infiltration & inflow issues between private properties and town systems.   A portion of this fund will be used to help property owners address connection issues on their properties.

To learn more about how to protect your property from flooding, visit www.tecumseh.ca.