Update on Stormwater Management, Flooding Prevention, and the Hydro Outage on July 16, 2024

Update on Stormwater Management and Flooding Prevention

Following two extreme weather events this summer – the July 16th storm during which a month of rain fell on the City of Toronto in a span of 3 hours and another storm August 17th which also affected Toronto and greatly impacted the neighbouring city of Mississauga – many residents have shared their concerns and questions about what the City of Toronto is doing to mitigate flooding.

Toronto has been experiencing more frequent and severe storms, leading to increased flooding that affects our roads, transit networks, homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The City is committed to stormwater management and reducing the risk of basement flooding and are making significant investments in this regard. Toronto Water’s last approved 10-Year Capital Plan (2024-2033) also allocated money for significant investments in stormwater management, wet weather flow projects and the state of good repair for the sewer system:

• $2.1 billion for Basement Flooding Protection Program including engineering studies, implementation, and the Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program.
• $2.4 billion on stormwater management, including the Wet Weather Flow Master Plan and Don River and Central Waterfront project, which works to improve stormwater quality that is released to the City’s waterways and Lake Ontario. 
• $3 billion investment to maintain the wastewater collection network in a state of good repair, including $170.6 million for 2024 alone.

In addition to this work, I supported a motion at July 24th, 2024 City Council to reduce runoff and mitigate flooding through the following initiatives:

• Assessing existing stormwater mitigation and adaptation programs for private properties.
• Reviewing past programs that have been discontinued.
• Proposing new short-term initiatives for storm water management.
• Planning for future programs to decrease impermeable surfaces and mitigate runoff, based on public input and residential property owner feedback.

What is the Basement Flooding Protection Program (BFPP)?

The BFPP is a large-scale multi-year project to review and assess the City's stormwater, sanitary, and combined sewer systems, and overland drainage routes, with the purpose of identifying and implementing improvements needed to mitigate flooding impacts. A critical step in the process, the evaluation of the existing systems and determination of what infrastructure improvements are needed where, is done through Environmental Assessments (EAs).

The City of Toronto was divided up into 67 study areas and, as you can imagine, doing a complete review of all of these systems across Toronto is a massive undertaking. All study area EAs were initially planned for completion by 2030, however in recent years City Council directed that city-wide assessments be expedited and, as of the end of 2024, all Environmental Assessments (EAs) across the City are complete.

Through this review, these EAs have identified a significant number of needed projects across the City of Toronto. It will take the City many years to design and implement all of the recommended infrastructure improvements. Due to the scale of work required, City Council have provided direction that "the prioritization of BFPP projects be consistent with the principle that the greatest number of properties are protected as soon as possible within approved funding envelopes and coordinated with other capital programs." City Council also established a threshold that BFPP projects below a $68,000 cost per benefitting property threshold be scheduled for implementation first; projects that exceed the $68,000 cost per benefitting property threshold are currently deferred.

In previous years, infrastructure improvement projects that met the criteria to be scheduled for implementation were added to the project queue as EAs were completed. Within our ward, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, study area 38 (the Alderwood neighbourhood west of Brown’s Line) was the first to be completed, and there are construction projects related to that EA scheduled within the 5-year capital budget to complete that work.

There are many more projects planned for implementation in Ward 3 and across the City of Toronto. The expedited completion of all EAs has lead to huge increase in projects that meet the criteria for implementation, technical staff within the city are now working through the complex task of determining the best way to schedule those projects into the future and have indicated that there will be a report coming to City Council seeking direction on how those projects should be equitably prioritized into the queue. Upgrading the entirety of Toronto’s stormwater management infrastructure is not an endeavour that can be completed overnight, and it is likely that this work will span decades.

What can I do to protect myself now?

Given the scale of the BFPP and the time it will take to implement all the improvement projects identified, it is essential that property owners take appropriate actions to reduce their risk of basement flooding. These actions include, but are not limited to:

• Helping keep water out – Preventing surface runoff from getting into the house via basement windows, driveways, walkouts, etc.
  • Seal cracks or leaks in walls, floors, windows and foundations, and seal all window wells.
  • Clear eavestroughs and downspouts of leaves and other debris that prevent drainage.
  • Disconnect your downspouts from the sewer system, where feasible (without negatively affecting neighbouring properties or creating an area where water will pool on a sidewalk or driveway), and make sure they are draining properly (ideally two metres from your foundation walls).
  • Ensure the grading around your property slopes away from the foundation wall to help drain water away from your property (without negatively affecting neighbouring properties).
  • Inspect and repair weeping tile/foundation drain as required.
    • Weeping tiles are pipes with small holes located underground near your basement foundation to collect groundwater/rainwater with the purpose of conveying water away from foundation walls to keep your basement dry.
    • Weeping tiles may drain into a solid pipe leading to a discharge or directly into a sump, where the water can be removed by a sump pump; however, it depends on your home’s drainage system.
    • Check the corners of your basement regularly and if the floor is damp/wet, your weeping tiles may not be working properly and may need to be repaired or replaced.
    • If your weeping tiles are connected to the sewer system, it is recommended that you disconnect it and install a sump pump and/or backwater valve.
    • If you are not sure if you have weeping tiles and/or if the weeping tiles are connected to the sewer system, please contact a licensed plumber for help.
  • Increase the green space around your property with native plants and shrubs and install porous pavement to help absorb rainwater and melted snow.
  • Where feasible, planting trees, installing a green roof or a rain garden can also help absorb rainwater and melted snow.
  • Safely clear debris from roadside catch basins (grates) to help water enter the storm sewer.
  • Ensure drainage swales (shallow ditches) between properties are maintained and clear of obstructions.
• Understanding and maintaining your plumbing
  • Complete a home isolation audit by a licensed plumber. You can hire a licensed plumber who conducts specialized testing or inspections, if needed, to help you identify the location and condition of key features of your household plumbing system. It’s important to map out all connections to mitigate private flood risk:
    • Sanitary sewer service line (connects the plumbing in your home to the sewer on the street).
    • Storm sewer service line (not all homes have a storm service line).
    • Foundation drains/weeping tile connection.
    • Floor drain connection.
  • Consider installing a backflow valve on the sewer service line, including storm sewer service line if there is one.
  • Consider installing a sump pump.
  • Conduct regular maintenance of backflow valves and sump pumps.

Other resources to support property owners:

• Owners of a single-family, duplex, triplex or fourplex residential home can apply online for a subsidy of up to $3,400 per property to install flood protection devices.
  • Eligible work includes: installation of a backwater valve, installation of a sump pump, severance and capping of a home’s storm sewer or external weeping tile connection.
  • Disconnecting the downspouts from your property’s eavestrough system is not eligible for a subsidy.
• The City has a series of videos that provide tips and tricks for flood protecting your property to help guide you.
• Learn more at toronto.ca/BasementFlooding

What should I do if I experience basement flooding?

If you have experienced basement flooding, we encourage you to report it to 3-1-1. In the event of a flooded basement, the City’s crews are available 24/7 to respond to flooding calls. It’s recommended to not enter a flooded basement and if your power is on, call Toronto Hydro at 416-542-8000 to disconnect your power. Additionally, reporting your instance of flooding ensures that it is recorded by the City, and that data helps staff understand where and what types of flooding are occurring in Toronto as they assess and plan future infrastructure improvement projects. If you experience multiple instances of flooding, reporting every instance is important to ensure the City has records that show the severity of the issue.

If you have photos of the flooding you experienced, please forward them to Toronto Water’s Customer Care Centre at [email protected] with information on the photo location, time, and any other details that can be provided. Toronto Water will take your documentation into account when planning for future infrastructure.

Additional Resources:

1. Filing an insurance claim – If you have incurred flooding damage, call your insurance company as soon as possible to report it. If you require assistance/have questions about home insurance, you can contact your insurance representative or the Insurance Bureau of Canada's Consumer Information Centre by phone (1-844-227-5422) or email ([email protected]).
2. Filing a claim against the City – If you believe that the City has been negligent in its maintenance of City facilities, roads, trees and sewers, which has caused bodily injury or damage to your property, you can file a third-party liability claim against the City of Toronto here.

Where do we go from here?

It is critical that we work to address the long-term infrastructure needs for stormwater management in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. City Council has previously established prioritization criteria with the goal of implementing BFPP projects in a fair and consistent way, with the desire of benefitting the greatest number of properties as soon as possible. Staff at Toronto Water have indicated that they will require further direction on how to prioritize the sudden increase of projects from the expedited completion of all EAs and they will be coming to Council for that direction in the near-term. I will continue to advocate for Ward 3, and make sure the severity of the impacts on Ward 3 residents are considered as projects are prioritized in the implementation queue.

Update on A.W. Manby Transmission Station (the source of the Hydro Outage on July 16, 2024)

On July 16th, 2024 there was an extreme weather event where heavy rains caused flash flooding across the city, resulting in a loss of supply to Toronto Hydro and approximately 170,000 of their customers. We know being without power is challenging. Crews and grid operators along with countless other team members worked as quickly and safely as possible to restore power supply to Toronto Hydro. While the vast majority of the supply had been restored that evening, the remainder from the A. W. Manby Transmission Station was restored slowly so as to not overload Toronto Hydro’s distribution system and cause additional outages. On July 17, just before 9 pm, all remaining supply was restored to Toronto Hydro.

Many residents drew parallels between this power outage and another significant power outage in 2013. However, the impact of this storm was far less when compared to the 2013 event, because of the investments and process changes Hydro One has made since then. During the 2024 event, approximately 870 MW of supply to Toronto Hydro was affected and nearly 90% of the supply was restored on the same day. In 2013, 3,500 MW of supply to six GTA local utilities was affected, including Toronto Hydro, and supply was restored over a number of days.

What improvements were implemented after the 2013 large scale outage?

Following the 2013 large scale outage, Hydro One has invested in A.W. Manby Transmission Station and implemented several process improvements, including:

• Improved site drainage operation – Replaced check valves where required and upgraded basement sump pumps.
• Reduced risk of water infiltration into buildings – Sealed cable conduit penetrations.
• Relocation of Equipment – Relocated much of the station’s control and telecom equipment along with critical ancillary services to a more secure location in the Station.
• Improved emergency preparedness – Developed instructions to dispatch field staff to critical sites during adverse weather conditions, procured additional gas-fired pumps, and provided additional staff training to operate diesel generators that can supply station service.

We understand that 2013 flooding at Manby Station was much more extensive, including substantial impact to a control room, which resulted in the large-scale outages experienced across the GTA. The improvements implemented post-2013 were successful in significantly reducing the extent of the flooding from the July 16th, 2024 storm, although Ward 3 was still impacted. Hydro One is conducting an investigation into the July 16th event to determine further investments to help further mitigate impacts from future severe weather. I have requested the results of that investigation when it is complete. While Hydro One has indicated that they are nearly complete with that review, they could not provide the information at this time. I will share an update as it becomes available through my email newsletter.