Climate Change Likely Means More Flooding in Toronto
Sourced from the Toronto Star
If you ever find yourself wanting to do something utterly satisfying, clean out a sewer grate on a rainy day.
In many other cities, crews will be out on every street, everyday, cleaning the gutters and sidewalks with brooms. On my Toronto street the leaves that fell in the fall are still there, flattened into a dirtlike pancake now, almost as permanent as the pavement itself. Welcome to life in a low tax city that places little value on maintaining the public realm.
That gunk often blocks the sewers and rainwater has nowhere to go, one cause of basement flooding. Using a shovel or stick to clear the debris gets the water running, and watching the flow is wonderful satisfaction. This also works in winter when snow and ice block the meltwater.
Stormwater runoff is a bigger issue than just your nearest drain. Notice how much ground around the city is covered in impermeable surfaces. That is, surfaces that don’t absorb water. There are the streets and sidewalks, of course, but think of all the buildings, parking lots, paved front yards and even some school yards that are asphalt from one end to the other.
Getting water to stay where it falls and absorbed into the ground there is key to preventing flooding in other places. With so much paved surfaces, a rainstorm can create an enormous amount of fast running water and it’s surprising how quickly neighbourhoods can flood.
From the Living Architecture Monitor
