Affordable Housing Contingent Upon Pumping Station Upgrades.

Image from Google Maps, special effects by Zach Neal.

From Tyler Kula, Sarnia Observer.


Plans to pump up affordable housing options in Sarnia have run into a bit of a snag – the danger of basements flooding with heavy rains.

“Backups into basements are not that uncommon in the city,” said Alan Shaw, director of planning and building, explaining it’s tied to city pumping stations operating at their brink.

When heavy rains hit, they’re overwhelmed, he said.

A plan to ease restrictions on building secondary rental units in residential properties – like people’s basements – is therefore being slowed a bit, giving time for $45 million in capacity upgrades to four city pumping stations, expected over the next four years.

The money – including two-thirds in grants from the provincial and federal governments – also covers recent lagoon upgrades in Bright’s Grove, said Pratt Rawat, the city’s manager of design and infrastructure.

Link to the rest here.

Thank you for reading.