Basement Flooding - What You Should Know

Here is how the sewer systems work - Urban residences in the City of Pickering and Durham Region are typically serviced by separate sanitary and storm sewer systems.  There are some exceptions for buildings constructed prior to 1983, where foundation drains may be connected to the sanitary sewer.

The Region of Durham is responsible for the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the sanitary sewer system, which consists of pipes (service connections and main line sewer) that carry wastewater from buildings to either pumping stations or the water pollution control plant.  Plumbing fixtures such as toilets, sinks, tubs and showers, appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines, as well as the floor drain in your basement are connected to the sanitary sewer.

The City of Pickering is responsible for stormwater management. Stormwater is collected through ditches, culverts, catch basins, storm sewers and stormwater ponds that eventually discharge to receiving water bodies such as local creeks and/or Lake Ontario.

Typically, foundation drains and roof downspouts are connected to storm sewers via service connections. Some foundation drains are directed to a sump pit in the basement, where a sump pump discharges the water to the exterior of the building.

Here's how it works:

Causes of Basement Flooding

• a leak in your building’s foundation, basement walls, windows or doors
• poor lot grading and drainage
• failure of weeping tiles (foundation drains)
• overflowing eavestroughs
• leaking/plugged downspouts
• a blocked connection between building and main sewer in street
• a backup of wastewater in the sanitary sewer
• sewer system unable to handle the volume of water produced by heavy rains or spring runoff
• failure of sump pump used to pump weeping tile water

What Can I do to prevent flooding in my basement?

Here are some simple steps to help reduce the possibility of basement flooding:

acheck for and fix leaks in basement walls, floor, windows, and foundations

aclear eavestroughs and downspouts of leaves and other debris that block drainage

a drain disconnected downspouts properly, at least 1.2 m from basement walls or into a rain barrel

a disconnect your downspouts from the sewer system

a install flood-proofing devices, such as back-water valves (check valves), sump pumps, floor drains or caps

a extend the storm lateral to inside the building and install a clean-out structure (refer to diagram)

a ensure property is graded properly to promote good drainage

Note:  We recommend that all changes to plumbing be undertaken by a professional.

What do I do if my basement floods?

Be safe.  It is not advisable to enter a flooded basement with live circuits – you could be electrocuted.

Call:

• your insurance company for further instructions
• Veridian Connections (hydro utility) before entering basement or flooded area – 905.427.9870 – or for power outages 1.866.579.6819
• Enbridge Gas – 1.866.763.5427
• Region of Durham – 1.800.372.1104
• City of Pickering – T. 905.683.7575
                                TTY 905.420.1739
                                customercare@cityofpickering.com

Download Brochure

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Here are some helpful links for additional information:

Region of Durham
http://www.durham.ca/departments/works/sewer/foundationdrain.pdf 

http://www.durham.ca/default.asp?nr=/departments/works/sewer/blockedsewerconnection.htm 

Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
http://www.iclr.org/ 

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/gemare/gemare_002.cfm 

 http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/em/em_001.cfm 

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/renoho/refash/refash_012.cfm 

Government of Canada
http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/knw/ris/fld-eng.aspx

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