Heather Wright/The Independent

There is a way to ease flooding during major storms in Watford. But it may not help during extreme rainfalls and it is going to cost some cash.

That from Mike DeVos, an engineer from Spriet Associates tasked at finding was to improve drainage in the village.

In the last two years, homes in the McGregor St., Centennial Ave area near Watford Memorial Park were swamped when eight to 12 inches of water fell in a matter of hours.

DeVos told council a significant area of land drains naturally toward the subdivision and it didn’t appear the sewer system in the area – built in 1975 – could handle external water.

DeVos says normally there are peaks of rainfall in storms. “This particular storm may not have had the peaks as high in terms of the intensities, but the duration was long enough that the volumes just overwhelmed everything that was available,” he told council.  “And one caution that I would provide, and I provided it to other clients too, is that any standards that are out there that we will design to maybe an improvement over what you have, and will be an improvement over what you have; but if you get a rain event that size, that you will still see flooding.”

DeVos had four possible solutions including upgrading the storm sewer along McGregor Street so Centennial Ave’s water would have a place to go. That would cost about $1.1 million.

The township could also build a two-metre deep stormwater management facility inside the track at the East Lambton Community Complex. DeVos says a large storm sewer could be constructed on Centennial which would drain into the pond in heavy rain. The $1.4 million plan would remove parking on the west side of Centennial in front of Watford Memorial Park. 

DeVos says the pond would collect and store water in a 250 year storm and “significantly reduce” the water moving over the land. 

DeVos also suggested a new, larger storm sewer along Confederation Line and Centennial for over $1 million or constructing a new municipal drain with a new storm sewer on Centennial Ave at a cost of $532,000.

Council received the report Monday and Mayor Todd Case says residents will be able to ask questions about it at future public meeting.