Kanata residents dealing with flooded basements from the massive rainfall in July will be getting help from the city.
Yesterday, city council voted to waive the sewer surcharge for homes that were flooded as a result of the “once in century rain event” on July 24.
The move would likely save most people around $80, but Kanata South Coun. Peggy Feltmate said it was a gesture to support residents in the tough situation.
Kanata North Coun. Marianne Wilkinson’s motion to give $1,000 to any homeowner whose property was flooded three times in the last 15 years, was deferred to the city’s planning and environment committee.
Yesterday, city staff outlined the finding of a preliminary investigation into why more than 1,200 basements were flooded and why the city’s response was deemed inadequate by some.
Deputy City Manager Nancy Schepers said their investigation found that the city infrastructure functioned properly, but the volume of rain overwhelmed the system.
Deputy City Manager Steve Kanelakos insisted sufficient resources were sent out, but he admitted the service response broke down when it came to various city departments communicating the scope of the damage to each other.
