The challenge
The City of Toronto’s sewer and water system was not designed to withstand frequent, severe storms, leading to urban basement flooding.
The solution
We’re updating the existing water-wastewater infrastructure through energy-efficient measures while minimizing disruption to the neighborhood.
The impact
Roadway and basement flooding caused by extreme weather will be greatly reduced, lowering the cost of future flooding remediation efforts.
The challenge
The City of Toronto recognizes the frequency and severity of storms have increased because of climate change, which has put unsustainable pressure on its existing stormwater infrastructure. As a result, many home and business owners have experienced basement flooding, causing damage to their valuables and impacting their ability to operate. In response, the City established the Basement Flooding Protection Program (BFPP) in 2006 as a multi-year initiative dedicated to tackling the adverse effects flooding has on the environment and urban space in Toronto through sewer system improvements and other flood protection measures.
The solution
Arcadis, formerly Arcadis IBI Group, is providing design, contract administration engineering, and construction inspection services in the northern Etobicoke district to relieve pressure on the existing sewer and water system. The five-year project will address the challenges of urban flooding by updating the existing infrastructure, developed in the 1950s, which will improve the system’s sustainability through energy-efficient measures while minimizing disruption to the neighborhood’s residents and natural landscape. Our work will include upgrades to the storm and sanitary sewers; installation of high-capacity-inlet catch basins and inlet control devices; and local road resurfacing and reconstruction.
In addition to our design and engineering services, we will be managing construction staging and optimizing resource allocations so that this large volume of work can be effectively delivered within the program timeline.
The impact
Urban flooding can quickly cause power outages, business disruption, environmental erosion, and costly damage to homes and infrastructure. Once the engineering design solutions are implemented, the threat of roadway and basement flooding caused by extreme weather events should be greatly reduced in the area.
Our work aims to cause the least amount of disruption to the Etobicoke district while providing the greatest protection from urban flooding through water-wastewater infrastructure upgrades and improvements.
