 Flood awareness and prevention
Emergencies can happen at any time and without warning. Earlier this year at a City Council Meeting it was announced that according to climate projections and risk assessments the City can expect more frequent and intense extreme weather events, including heat waves, ice storms, and as we have seen this summer, flooding.
Floods are the most common hazards in Canada and water damage is a leading cause of loss for homeowner insurance. At the July 1 west end flooding event the City of Ottawa reported some 7,100 homes had flooded basements. It was also reported that a large number of these homes (perhaps as high as 30%) were denied insurance claims because of inadequate insurance coverage and/or home devices, such as a backwater valve or sump pump.
Home Insurance
Most basic home insurance policies only cover water damage if the source is within the home — a burst pipe, a leaking refrigerator or a ruptured water tank. However, when it comes to exterior sources most policies require additional coverage, such as ground water, overland and sewer back-up protection. Overland flood insurance covers damage from water that spills into people's homes through doors and window wells when the ground is saturated. Sewer back-up insurance covers damage caused by sewage flowing into your home from the sanitary sewer pipes. You should talk with your Insurance Company whether your insurance covers these areas.
Backwater Valves
Sanitary and storm sewer back-ups can occur from blockages in the main sewer or surcharging during intense weather events resulting in basement flooding. To combat this situation homeowners should have backwater valves installed on both. The backwater valve is a one-way plumbing device, that typically includes an access cover and a lightweight internal flapper, designed to stop stormwater or sewage from reversing flow and flooding a building.
Sump Pump
Sump pumps and backwater valves address two different issues. A backwater valve prevents sewage or wastewater from flowing back into your property during sewer system issues, but it doesn’t address groundwater or rainwater infiltration. If your area is prone to heavy rainfall or flooding, a sump pump may be necessary to manage excess groundwater. A sump pump simply removes any excess water around your foundation that tries to seep into your basement and pumps that water away from your house. For those who have a sump pump, it is recommended that you have a backup pump as well as battery backup power to keep your basement dry during weather events.
City of Ottawa Rebates
To encourage residents to be proactive towards flooding the City of Ottawa offers these rebates via their Residential Protective Plumbing Program:
(1) Sewer Backup
- Building permit (plumbing work only) 100%
- Indoor sanitary backwater valve $1000
- Storm backwater valve $1000
- Outdoor storm backwater valve $2500
(2) Sump Pump
- Primary Sump Pump with battery backup power installed in an existing sump pit $1500
- Secondary Sump Pump with battery backup power installed in an existing sump pit $1500
- Primary Sump Pump with battery backup power and construction of a sump pit $3000
- Secondary Sump Pump with battery backup power and construction of a sump pit $3000
Detailed information on these rebates is available on the City of Ottawa website.
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