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Flash floods in Montreal resulting from torrential rain storms that assailed the region several times in August sent many residents of Villeray/St-Michel/Park Extension complaining to the borough council last week — although few were from Park Extension.
Sewers overloaded
“We are very preoccupied in the borough by these flooding problems which are the result of the forces of nature,” said Borough Mayor Anie Samson. “We are told that the planet is not well and we are hearing a lot about global warming and we are seeing rain that is falling very suddenly as a result. So we are seeing that the sewer system at a certain point is overloaded for many reasons.”
At least one resident told Samson she had to declare to any potential buyers of her property that there was a risk of flooding during major downpours. “Must we continue living like this, on guard all the time?” she said. “Must we continue seeing our property losing value?” Samson acknowledged there are certain areas of the borough that are more susceptible. She also said she was aware some class action lawsuits have been launched against the centre city as a result.
Borough listening: Samson
“What I can tell you in the borough is that we are listening to what your needs are,” she said, adding that the administration conducts a triennial sewer inspection and maintenance program. But she insisted the problem principally is the result of too much precipitation coming into the sewer system all at once during flash rain storms. Michel Laflamme, the borough’s director of public works, said the centre city is largely responsible for the sewers, while the borough also maintains them.
According to Laflamme, the centre city has earmarked certain streets in the borough as problematic with regards to sewers backing up, although he wasn’t optimistic as to when they’ll be dealt with. “I’d be lying if I were to say it’ll be done in the spring of 2010,” he said. “It’s the centre city that will be making the decision. But from what I know today, there are no major sewer replacements scheduled on those streets. At least I am not aware of it.”
‘Nature’ blamed for floods
In an interview with NPEN, Deros said she received a number or complaints about flooding from residents on some streets in Park Extension. “But I handled it directly with the citizens so they didn’t feel the need to come here,” she said. She noted that a precautionary measure property owners can take against sewer water backing up into their homes is the addition of “traps” in their plumbing. They allow water to flow out but don’t allow backup to flow in. “We are having flash rains more often now than we did before,” she added, agreeing with most of the other borough council members that Mother Nature is largely to blame. “It’s the same sewer system as we’ve always had.
“We can’t just tear up all our streets and modify the sewers because of this. I think the first thing that citizens have to do is to verify whether they have traps at least that won’t allow the backup to come through. It’s just that when there is a flash rain and a lot of water is going through the system, when you flush your toilet or you use your washer at the same time and your water is going out, if you do have a trap door and it opens up you can also expect to have some backup come in. People have to keep in mind how they use their existing water elements within their homes when a flash rain is happening. We’re seeing all kinds of weather changes around the world. The city can only do so much.”
Coalition ‘polices the police’
The Coalition des Amis du Parc Jarry continues to hammer the borough council with questions about parking problems caused by police vehicles near Neighbourhood Police Station 31 on St. Lawrence Boulevard. The Coalition remains opposed to a planned expansion into a small portion of the park by the police station. Commander François Houle, head of the station, said they currently have ample room to park and that the police officers in his charge don’t have his permission to park where they’re not authorized. He suggested to Michel Lafleur of les Amis that if he spots a police car that is parked somewhere it shouldn’t be, that he note the vehicle’s number and inform Houle of it directly. “So we have to police the police,” joked Lafleur.