Example of a backwater valve installation Rockwood was ravaged by the storm that hit on July 8th. This was evident by the number of dump bins that appeared throughout the area within the following two days, and the mountains of trash that at one time were the flooring and furnishings in someone’s basement. The demand for bins was so great that if you did not get one on order within 48 hours of the storm, there was a 5-6 week wait for delivery. Still, almost three months later, new arrivals are appearing in driveways throughout our neighbourhoods.
There were two issues that many homeowners had to deal with; water that entered the basement via the outside, and water that entered via the sewer. Water coming in from the outside is considered a “flood” If you had a “flood”, chances are you are not getting much, if any assistance,from your insurance company, unless you had a rider that includes “floods”. However, if the water was a direct result of back up of the drain or sewer, then home insurance should cover your loss.
With the apparent widespread damages reported, City Council passed a Resolution requesting the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to declare the City of Mississauga or part thereof a “disaster area” for the purposes of the ODRAP for disaster assistance, but this was subsequently denied.
However, lessons were learned. In light of the fact that the sewers were unable to handle the volume of water, the City is waiving the building permit fee for the installation of backwater valves for residents affected by the flood. Installing this valve could reduce the risk of sewer back-up into your home in the event that we should suffer a repeat performance of another major storm, after you get your basement
renovated. And, you can be sure the City will be looking for creative ways to raise money to update storm water infrastructure to deal with systems not adequate to handle the demands of another big rainfall.
For more information on the backwater valve, click here.
There were two issues that many homeowners had to deal with; water that entered the basement via the outside, and water that entered via the sewer. Water coming in from the outside is considered a “flood” If you had a “flood”, chances are you are not getting much, if any assistance,from your insurance company, unless you had a rider that includes “floods”. However, if the water was a direct result of back up of the drain or sewer, then home insurance should cover your loss.
With the apparent widespread damages reported, City Council passed a Resolution requesting the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to declare the City of Mississauga or part thereof a “disaster area” for the purposes of the ODRAP for disaster assistance, but this was subsequently denied.
However, lessons were learned. In light of the fact that the sewers were unable to handle the volume of water, the City is waiving the building permit fee for the installation of backwater valves for residents affected by the flood. Installing this valve could reduce the risk of sewer back-up into your home in the event that we should suffer a repeat performance of another major storm, after you get your basement
renovated. And, you can be sure the City will be looking for creative ways to raise money to update storm water infrastructure to deal with systems not adequate to handle the demands of another big rainfall.
For more information on the backwater valve, click here.
