Avoid flooding risks and track wastewater bypasses and overflows in real time with new live map

HAMILTON, ON - With significant rain in the forecast for parts of Hamilton today, the City of Hamilton is reminding residents to take steps to prevent flooding in and around their homes.

The City is providing the following tips for residents to reduce the risk of flooding and monitoring the status of sewer overflows and wastewater treatment plant bypasses:

• Keep catch basins in front of your home clear of debris.
• If your home has a backwater valve installed, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning to ensure that it is functioning properly.
• Check your sump pump to make sure it is working properly. 
• If your home or area is prone to flooding you may want to consider ensuring any valuables are up off of basement floors.

Conditions may result in road flooding and/or ponding in low lying areas such as backyards and drainage areas. Residents should exercise caution around all bodies of water including near creeks, bridges, culverts and dams, and to keep children and pets away from bodies of water. Motorists should be cautious if driving on flooded roads.

NEW - Last month, the City launched a live map showing the real-time status of combined sewer overflows and wastewater treatment plant bypasses. Residents can access the map by visiting www.hamilton.ca/wastewatermonitoring. The map is updated every 15 minutes to provide current information for each sewer outfall location that the City monitors. It shows whether a sewer is currently overflowing, or has overflowed within the last 48 hours.

Bypasses occur in wet weather, when the amount of wastewater entering the sewer system exceeds the capacity of the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Combined sewer systems are common in older cities like Hamilton. Constructing combined sewers was the accepted building practice for over 100 years, with most older major cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Windsor having large combined sewer systems.

Please call 905-546-2489 to report sewer back-ups, flooding over roadways, fallen trees or debris in drainage ditches or culverts.

Additional resources

www.hamilton.ca/wastewatermonitoring
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iewH6iJMtS0
www.hamilton.ca/sewersystem