Home Flood Protection Program

Posted May 08, 2018 in ward 8 update, East College Park, Wildwood, finance, Greystone Heights, Briarwood, Brighton, College Park, core services

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Every home has some risk for flooding during spring snow melt and rain storms. The City of Saskatoon and SGI CANADA are sponsoring a national pilot program to help Saskatoon homeowners understand their flood risk and take measures to protect their property from flooding.

Saskatoon homeowners can register now for a free or partially-subsidized professional Home Flood Protection Program home assessment – valued at $450 - to help identify their flood risks. The subsidized Home Flood Protection Program inspections will be available to the first 400 Saskatoon homeowners to register in 2018. Up to 100 homes that meet the criteria for high flood risk areas are eligible for a free home assessment. Other homeowners are eligible for a subsidized rate of $125. (Homes that qualify for free assessments will have already received a notice from the City of Saskatoon indicating their eligibility)

Early action can help homeowners take back control after experiencing loss due to flood damage, and provide some peace of mind for those who are unsure if their home is protected. Register today at HomeFloodProtect.ca or call toll free 1-877-876-9235. View the brochure here.

Background for City of Saskatoon

  • Saskatoon has experienced several rain events over the last number of years which have resulted in surface flooding and sewer back-ups.
  • Last summer we had two intense rain events and certain areas of the city experienced ponding on the roads and in, some instances, flooding on private property.
  • Many people predict that climate change will result in more frequent and intense rain events in the future.
  • Residents in higher flood risk areas were surveyed last fall and many asked for information to help them identify actions and improvements they could implement to reduce their risk of flooding.
  • Large storm water infrastructure projects will not prevent all flood risk. Citizens can also take actions to reduce the risk and impact of flooding.

 

More about the Home Flood Protection Program

  • Developed by the University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, the Home Flood Protection Program pilot will:
    • assess the vulnerability of homes to flood damage,
    • make recommendations to help homeowners avoid costly damage from extreme weather, and
    • collect the data needed to inform potential expansion of the program to communities across Canada
  • The pilot is now available to all owners of fully-detached, semi- detached and townhomes throughout Saskatoon until the end of September.
  • The Home Flood Protection Program was developed by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, is delivered locally by AET Group and sponsored by the City of Saskatoon, SGI CANADA and Intact Financial Corporation.
  • Lessons learned from the pilot program will inform a broader rollout of the program across Canada.

 

High Flood Risk Areas

  • Door hangers will be delivered to homes eligible for a free assessment within the 30 high-risk flood areas and residents are encouraged to go online quickly once they receive it to be one of the first 100.
  • The program’s goal is to help homeowners identify flood risks, take action to reduce those risks and support preventative maintenance activities to reduce risks over the long term.
  • All Saskatoon homeowners can also access a variety of free self-help online resources at homefloodprotect.ca.
  • Homeowners who participate in the Home Flood Protection Assessment work with a trained assessor to complete a 50-point visual assessment of potential sources of water entry into the home and to discuss their preventative maintenance practices.
  • These assessed features receive a score and results are compiled in a fully confidential, easy to read report that identifies top actions for physical upgrades to your property and key preventative maintenance activities to reduce flood risk. Online resources and seasonal maintenance reminders help homeowners take practical action to reduce risk in the short and long term.
  • Participants also have the opportunity to participate in the fully confidential Home Flood Protection Study to help track the impacts of the program, learn about how to improve delivery and determine the best course of action for rolling the program out across Canada.

How you can participate

  • Interested homeowners can access free resources and register for the Home Flood Protection Program online at homefloodprotect.ca/ or over the phone with a customer service representative at 1-877-876-9235 (toll-free).

More Information