Halton Region officials have outlined their response to the recent flooding caused by a series of extreme storms, detailing the measures taken to support affected residents and plans to improve stormwater management and emergency preparedness.
“It was an all-hands-on-deck situation for our operation staff,” said Kiyoshi Oka, the Region’s director of water and wastewater system services, at the meeting on Sept. 18 — referring to the response to the storms that brought rainfall equivalent to 25 per cent of Halton’s annual average.
“Our wastewater systems are designed to take a normal amount of stormwater infiltration and inflow, but not the amount that comes from extreme storm events.”
According to the report, consecutive storms saturated the soil and limited the capacity of Halton's wastewater and stormwater systems to handle heavy rainfall. This led to surcharging in sections of the wastewater system, with 1,015 of the 1,897 flooded homes experiencing backups. High flows also caused overflows at several pumping stations and treatment plants, while surface flooding overwhelmed systems in many areas.
Staff visited homes to assist residents and confirm wastewater surcharging, while Canadian Red Cross volunteers visited nearly 1,700 homes in the hardest-hit areas — with 12 households receiving temporary hotel accommodations and six were referred to Halton’s Housing Services for longer-term support.
Many council members expressed appreciation for the Region's efforts, while some offered suggestions for improvement.
“In the early days of the flood, speaking personally, I had no idea of the magnitude of the impact and the fact that (the) Red Cross came in; the fact that people were having to be put up in hotels,” said Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.
Meed Ward emphasized the need for real-time updates to council and emergency staff, recommending more detailed intake information during calls.
Oka acknowledged the opportunity for enhancements, noting the upgraded 311 system could help capture data and identify trends more quickly.
Next steps include a comprehensive review of the stormwater and wastewater system response to develop mitigation strategies, an integrated master plan for water and wastewater services through 2051 and an evaluation of the basement flooding prevention subsidy program to boost participation.
Halton CAO Jane MacCaskill added that responses to council inquiries will come in stages, with immediate clarifications followed by reports on communications, flood mitigation and the wastewater system analysis.