Report to/Rapport au :

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

and Council/ et le Conseil

1 February 2010 / le 1 février 2010

Submitted by/Soumis par: Councillor/Conseillère Peggy Feltmate

Contact Person/Personne ressource: Councillor/Conseillère Peggy Feltmate, Kanata South/sud

613-580-2752, Peggy.Feltmate@ottawa.ca

City-wide

Ref N°: ACS2010-CCS-PEC-0005

SUBJECT:	PROTECTIVE PLUMBING PROGRAM – RULES FOR SEMI-DETACHED HOMES
OBJET :	PROGRAMME DE SUBVENTIONS A L’INSTALLATION DE DISPOSITIFS ANTI-REFOULEMENT – REGLES POUR LES MAISONS JUMELEES

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve that in cases where only one semi-detached home has experienced flooding, the owner of the other home will also be eligible for 100% assistance with the cost of installing protective plumbing devices.

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil d’accepter que, dans les cas où une seule maison jumelée a subi un refoulement, le propriétaire de l’autre maison soit également admissible à une aide portant sur la totalité des coûts d’installation de dispositifs anti-refoulement.

BACKGROUND

Pursuant to Section 77 (12) of the Procedure By-law, Councillor Feltmate requested that the following motion be placed on the Planning and Environment Committee Agenda:

WHEREAS the rules for the Protective Plumbing Program limit 100% assistance with the costs of installing protective plumbing devices to people whose homes have been previously flooded, and

WHEREAS this means that people living in semi-detached homes where only the other half of the building has been flooded are only eligible for help with 50% of the costs, and

WHEREAS when one half of a building containing semi-detached homes has experienced flooding the other half is also facing a significant risk of flooding;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED That in cases where only one semi-detached home has experienced flooding, the owner of the other home will also be eligible for 100% assistance with the cost of installing protective plumbing devices.

DISCUSSION

City staff is in the process of developing comprehensive solutions to reduce the risk of flooding in the City’s west end community. Given the complexity of the investigation and the variety of solutions required to address different areas, targeted solutions will be identified and implemented as expeditiously as possible. When these system solutions are implemented, protective plumbing devices will provide a backup line of defence against basement flooding.

The Protective Plumbing Program is an excellent opportunity for residents to reduce the risk of sewer backups. The recent flooding events impacting the west end of the City of Ottawa has increased public awareness regarding the installation of protective plumbing devices.

The existing Protective Plumbing Grant Program does not specifically consider semi-detached housing. Should Committee approve the provision of 100% eligibility assistance to the non-flooded adjoining property, staff recommend that each property should be considered separately in terms of protective service installations due to the uniqueness of sanitary and storm lateral servicing for semi-detached housing. This would allow each homeowner to receive equal protection against flooding without interdependencies between the properties. This will, however, result in some additional, and possibly duplication of infrastructure, but likely remain within the individual property owner’s eligibility amount.

Preliminary funding requirements have been identified in the 2010 Draft Rate Supported Capital Budget.

CONSULTATION

This item will be advertised in the local daily newspapers as part of the Public Meeting Advertisement on the Friday preceding the Planning and Environment Committee meeting.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

2010 funding requirements of $1.2 million have been included in the 2010 Draft Rate Capital Budget. Approval of this report will not impact those funding requirements.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no significant legal or risk management issues associated with this report

DISPOSITION

The Department of Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability will implement the directions of Committee and Council.