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Kanata residents left frustrated by flood meeting
City fails to answer how sewage backed up during historic storm
Michele Oberoi
The Ottawa Citizen
September 21, 2004
Frustrated Kanata residents whose basements were flooded with raw sewage almost two weeks ago received few answers to their questions last night at a meeting with their councilor and City of Ottawa staff.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting at St. John's Anglican Church, which was hosted by Kanata Ward Councillor Peggy Feltmate.
Ms. Feltmate warned residents at the beginning of the evening that the investigation into the cause of the flood has just begun, and that the meeting "probably won't answer all your questions."
Instead, the purpose of the evening was to "open up dialogue with the community," she said.
City officials described the events of Sept. 9, from the record-breaking amount of rain to the events leading up to the March Road pumping station failure, and the resulting sewage water backup that filled the basements of about 50 homes in Kanata's Shirley's Brook Drive neighbourhood, as well as the basement of the Brookside Manor senior's residence, which was evacuated.
"It's a tremendous amount of work and it's really been awful," Ms. Feltmate said of the aftermath of the flood on her constituents.
"They're looking for answers from the city."
Dave McCartney, manager of waste water and drainage services, confirmed an earlier report that surface water from the storm disabled the city's March Road pumping station, causing it to be shut down.
In addition, he confirmed that a temporary construction access driveway blocked a drain-age ditch behind the pumping station, causing surface water to accumulate. The blockage was immediately removed by the city.
Residents' repeated requests for the name of the persons or company responsible for building the construction access driveway were denied, pending the outcome of the city's investigation.
Residents questioned wheth-er the pumping station, which was designed in 1975, was powerful enough to handle the large amount of development in the area, but were told that the station had always performed well, and had nothing to do with what happened on Sept. 9.
Many were disturbed to learn that sewage overflow was pumped into the creek on Shirley's Brook Drive, however. Mr. McCartney said the city had no other choice, and that the Ministry of the Environment was notified.
It was an environmental spill," he said. "It was going in the creek anyway."
Area resident Cathy Lyon said there seems to be a lot of discrepancies in the information residents have been receiving.
"The city is certainly not wanting to take any blame," Mrs. Lyon said prior to the meeting.
Mrs. Lyon said damage to her finished basement from the flood would add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Residents in a similar situation asked when they could expect the city's investigation to be completed.
"I don't think we have an estimate," said Ms. Feltmate. "This is going to take more than days, and more than weeks."
City fails to answer how sewage backed up during historic storm
Michele Oberoi
The Ottawa Citizen
September 21, 2004
Frustrated Kanata residents whose basements were flooded with raw sewage almost two weeks ago received few answers to their questions last night at a meeting with their councilor and City of Ottawa staff.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting at St. John's Anglican Church, which was hosted by Kanata Ward Councillor Peggy Feltmate.
Ms. Feltmate warned residents at the beginning of the evening that the investigation into the cause of the flood has just begun, and that the meeting "probably won't answer all your questions."
Instead, the purpose of the evening was to "open up dialogue with the community," she said.
City officials described the events of Sept. 9, from the record-breaking amount of rain to the events leading up to the March Road pumping station failure, and the resulting sewage water backup that filled the basements of about 50 homes in Kanata's Shirley's Brook Drive neighbourhood, as well as the basement of the Brookside Manor senior's residence, which was evacuated.
"It's a tremendous amount of work and it's really been awful," Ms. Feltmate said of the aftermath of the flood on her constituents.
"They're looking for answers from the city."
Dave McCartney, manager of waste water and drainage services, confirmed an earlier report that surface water from the storm disabled the city's March Road pumping station, causing it to be shut down.
In addition, he confirmed that a temporary construction access driveway blocked a drain-age ditch behind the pumping station, causing surface water to accumulate. The blockage was immediately removed by the city.
Residents' repeated requests for the name of the persons or company responsible for building the construction access driveway were denied, pending the outcome of the city's investigation.
Residents questioned wheth-er the pumping station, which was designed in 1975, was powerful enough to handle the large amount of development in the area, but were told that the station had always performed well, and had nothing to do with what happened on Sept. 9.
Many were disturbed to learn that sewage overflow was pumped into the creek on Shirley's Brook Drive, however. Mr. McCartney said the city had no other choice, and that the Ministry of the Environment was notified.
It was an environmental spill," he said. "It was going in the creek anyway."
Area resident Cathy Lyon said there seems to be a lot of discrepancies in the information residents have been receiving.
"The city is certainly not wanting to take any blame," Mrs. Lyon said prior to the meeting.
Mrs. Lyon said damage to her finished basement from the flood would add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Residents in a similar situation asked when they could expect the city's investigation to be completed.
"I don't think we have an estimate," said Ms. Feltmate. "This is going to take more than days, and more than weeks."
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