Support for flooding and stormwater management in the Calgary area was announced by Infrastructure Canada for Stage 1 of the Western Irrigation District’s Cooperative Stormwater Management Initiative.
According to Infrastructure Canada, recurrent storms and prolonged rainy seasons have resulted in private property flooding in the City of Calgary, the City of Chestermere, the Town of Strathmore, Rocky View County and Wheatland County. This weather has also resulted in excessive stormwater runoff and emergency pumping into the Western Irrigation District’s main irrigation canals.
The initiative aims to develop a sustainable regional stormwater solution by using new and existing infrastructure to collect and move stormwater, control localized flooding, maintain a high water quality for irrigation use, and support new residential, agricultural and industrial developments in the region.
According to the Alberta Water Portal Society, the region needs control and drainage solutions due to limited natural drainage courses.
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Stage 1 of the initiative involves the purchase and installation of pipelines and underdrains to connect existing stormwater conveyance systems and resolve various drainage constraints in the region.
Infrastructure Canada said this project will better control flooding for more than 1,452,000 residents in the five municipalities. It will also improve the quality of water used for irrigation, supporting new residential, agricultural and industrial development.
The Government of Canada is contributing approximately $2 million to Stage 1 through the New Building Canada Fund – National-Regional Projects. The Government of Alberta and the five participating municipalities are responsible for the remaining project costs.
Click here to read the original press release.
