City of Ottawa wants to make more households better at preventing storm water from going to rivers
As the city deals with more extreme weather events like tornadoes and flash flooding, a committee will debate this month on expanding a pilot project that gives financial incentives to retrofit homes to more neighborhoods.
Rain Ready Ottawa is a pilot program that helps homeowners make changes to their property to reduce the harmful impacts of rainwater runoff. Rebates of up to $5,000 are available to help install infrastructure that manages rainwater where it falls.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"The pilot's been running really well. We have it in the east end and also in the southwest end and there has been lots of interest," said Coun. Matt Luloff, who sits on the city's environment committee. "I think that we had targeted about 103 different projects. It's been more than double that. So very, very exciting. It's a great program that helps people to divert rainwater on their properties and have it actually absorb on their properties rather than running into creeks and rivers and streams, which can lead to closing beaches."
Right now, the program exists in two neighbourhoods, including one in the east and one in the west end of the city.
"So, you'll have your primary area, which is very similar to where the pilot project has been running; and then a larger expanded secondary area. So areas through that, and the downtown core as well. We've got lots of rivers, streams and beaches across the city. So it's important to ensure that we're handling our rainwater onsite rather than taking pollutants into the river or into these streams, and creeks, it'll lead to less beach closure days and better enjoyment of our natural habitats around the city," says Luloff.
According to the city, most buildings, streets and parking lots in urban areas don't absorb rain well, therefore it ends up in storm sewers that go into streams and rivers, along with many pollutants that can cause issues like poor water quality, risks of flooding, and beach closures.
Luloff says this program will help mitigate the impact of flooding during extreme weather events. "The more water that we can absorb within the city on our properties, the better off that we're going to be during these larger events."
According to the city's website, Rain Ready Ottawa offers rebates for five practices:
- Downspout redirection (Up to $1,000)
- Rain garden installation (Up to $2,500)
- Soakway pit installation (Up to $2,500)
- Permeable pavements (Up to $5,000)
- Certified landscape designs ($500)
For complete information on how rebates are calculated and specific project requirements, you can visit the City of Ottawa's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP wants Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
Doug Ford suggests immigrants behind Jewish school shooting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested immigrants are to blame for the shooting of an empty Jewish school in Toronto over the weekend, despite police saying they have little information on the suspects.
Supreme Court won't hear appeal in Montreal brainwashing experiments case
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a Quebec ruling that bars people from suing the U.S. government in Canada over its role in notorious brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.
Donald Trump can sue niece over NY Times article, court rules
A New York state appeals court said Donald Trump can sue his niece Mary Trump for giving the New York Times information for its Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 probe into his finances and his alleged effort to avoid taxes.
Shania Twain shares how she forgave her ex-husband's cheating: 'It's his mistake'
Shania Twain recently addressed the infidelity that rocked her marriage to Robert 'Mutt' Lange, whom she divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.
Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of homeless man in downtown Toronto
One of eight teen girls charged in the death of a homeless man in downtown Toronto has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Princess of Wales to miss major military display next month amid cancer treatment
Catherine, Princess of Wales, will not be returning to royal duties with an appearance at the Colonel’s Review, a military parade in London in early June, as she continues her treatment for cancer.
Police arrest 19-year-old suspect after Montreal triple homicide
Police have made an arrest following a deadly street fight that ended with three people killed in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough last week.