A delegation of residents of Hudson Bay in the Burntwood area appeared before Thompson city council Sept. 8 to express their concern over flooding that occurred over the area in the summer, damaging several basements and leaving the homeowners looking for answers.
During the storm which caused the damage, approximately 20 houses on the street experienced grey water and brown water flooding and the residents said they felt that the city's storm sewer system is not adequate.
Sheldon Fitzpatrick, one of those affected, was on vacation at the time of the storm, described as a once-in-75-year event, and returned home to find his basement flooded. This is the third time he has had to rebuild the basement, he said.
"It's not our houses' fault,' said Fitzpatrick.
Mayor Tim Johnston said he had visited the residence of one of the affected homeowners to view the damage firsthand.
"It was a disaster," said Johnston.
Director of public works Wayne Koversky explained that most of the affected houses are on a "dead-end line," which flows into a larger 610-millimetre pipe that filled up, causing water to flow back into the smaller line.
"The water had no place to go except into basements," said Koversky. "With the amount of rain that fell, the water had nowhere to go. It was designed to take normal rainfall."
A public works employee who was dispatched to the area at 10 p.m. checked the sewer according to department protocol in order to determine what the problem was.
"He realized the whole system was at capacity," said Koversky.
The delegation asked city to look into upgrading the storm sewer system to prevent future occurrences. The mayor said the city would advise them of any recommendations or solutions it came up with.
Council was also addressed by local developer Dayton Barenz, who wanted council to ignore a development review committee recommendation not to grant an extension for construction on a property on Manasan Drive.
"What is the city really losing by giving me another year to develop the property?" asked Barenz, who said part of the reason for the delay in building was a lack of local contractors.
An amended resolution voted upon later reversed the development review committee's recommendation and granted a construction extension for Lot 51 on Manasan Dr. until Dec. 31, 2010.
