Flooding prompts concern from residents
Report shows some homes may require drainage systems and continuous pumping
“The results of this study suggest that an internal or external drainage system would be required for each building, and that continuous pumping would be required.” Consultants’ report for the Town of Happy Valley-goose Bay
A number of homes in the Kelland Drive area of Happy Valley-goose Bay experienced flooding this past spring and summer, in some cases, causing a great deal of property damage.
Brad Keats and his wife Debbie were some of the most severely impacted, with water coming into their basement on Rendell Crescent almost continuously for a number of weeks. They had to take time off work to deal with it and have incurred a significant financial expense.
Brad Keats told Saltwire the issue had largely abated, but that was due to a change in the water table more than anything else, and he still gets pretty worried whenever it rains.
He said he had difficulty getting information from the town on what, if anything, was happening with the issue, but he’s hopeful the new, recently elected council can look at options for the future.
There was work done on canals and culverts this summer, Keats said, but based on a meeting he and other homeowners had with a hydrogeologist commissioned to write a report for the town, he isn’t hopeful it will have an impact.
“Basically, he told us to be prepared for the return of a high-water table next spring and we should investigate sump-pump systems for our house,” he said. “The work done, he suspects, will do nothing but encourage improved surface drainage in the spring ... (he) doubts it would do anything to address the high-water table.”
He said they have a horrible feeling about their house and fears it will get worse next spring. They’ve installed weeping tiles on the property, but he’s not sure how much that will help.
Through an ATIPP request, Saltwire acquired a copy of the report prepared by CBCL, an environmental engineering consulting firm, on how surface water and groundwater were impacting flooding in parts of the town.
The report, which dealt with topics such as watertable mapping and drainage options, said the position of the water table may be the controlling factor in some of the flooding, specifically in the Pottle-mitchel subdivision, less than two kilometres from the Keats’ home.
It said the sandy soils in the area exhibit a high permeability and groundwater is expected to “drain readily into the voids created by crawl spaces and basements.”
It also said the because of the high permeability, it’s “likely to limit the application of tile drains and sump pumps, as the pumping rates required are likely to be impractical.”
“Typical measures to manage basements below the water table include a combination of impermeable barriers, drainage pipe, and sump pumps,” it reads. “The results of this study suggest that an internal or external drainage system would be required for each building, and that continuous pumping would be required.”
Saltwire reached out to the new mayor of the central Labrador town, George Andrews, and he said it is something the new council has been working on.
Flooding was a major issue during the recent municipal election which resulted in an entirely new council.
Andrews said he had met with the town engineer on the issue and council is planning
on informing residents on what they are doing following its first meeting
Tuesday.
He said they wanted residents to hear it from council first, not other sources, and a letter will go out to affected residents next week.