Ottawa insurance firms are calling on city officials to build better sewer infrastructure to prevent future flooding in west-end neighbourhoods.
"Insurers are only able to tolerate a series of claims for so long," said insurance broker Leon Asselstine.
The call for change comes after a severe thunderstorm caused flash floods in the city's west end last month. Some homes in Kanata's Glen Cairn neighbourhood are dealing with the third major flood in a span of 13 years.
As a result, some insurance companies have already dropped homeowners who live in "high risk" areas.
"First of all, they're going to deny you that coverage, which is sewer backup and water damage in your basement. They may increase the deductible for it, or they are going to limit the coverage," said Asselstine.
Homeowners in the area are also blaming the city for the mess.
"We were hit by sewage, so this is the city's fault," said Kanata homeowner Curtis Schaler, whose basement filled with dirty, brown water laced with raw sewage in July.
"They screwed something up. And in the end, something came back through our houses, so they have to tear (the sewer system) up, and redo it. They have to do something to fix it."
Weeks later, Schaler and many others are still cleaning up from the flooding.
"I want my life back together now," Schaler told CTV Ottawa on Monday.
Although his insurance company will cover some of the cost to clean-up the mess, Schaler will have to come up with $20,000-30,000 more to finish the job.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kristy Kirkup
