EDMONTON — The Government of Canada is funding $53 million towards reinforcing flood resilience in Edmonton infrastructure.
“Taking concrete steps to adapt to the impacts of climate change is more and more essential to ensuring a safe prosperous future for our kids and grandkids. By investing in this important flood protection project, we are helping Edmonton get ahead of the problem. The work will help keep drinking water clean, make sure residents have uninterrupted access to essential services, and greatly reduce the costs of recovery following extreme weather incidents,” said federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Francois-Phillipe Champagne in a statement.
Work includes construction of new dry ponds in Edmonton to reduce stormwater overflow on city streets as well as the relocation of electrical assets at both the Rossdale and E.L. Smith water treatment plants and backflow prevention for pipes that discharge into the North Saskatchewan river.
New embankments will also be built at both water treatment plant properties to reduce onsite flooding.
Improvements and upgrades will also be made to outfall structures that control heavy water flow and release stormwater into the river.
“EPCOR is focused on building up Edmonton’s resilience to future flooding and mitigating the impacts of climate change and severe weather. This investment by the Government of Canada supports our work and the critical water infrastructure we operate. It represents a significant commitment to the future of our communities,” said EPCOR Utilities Inc. president and CEO Stuart Lee.
The government is funding the flood resilience work through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF), a $2-billion, 10-year program to help communities build infrastructure suited to withstand floods, wildfires, droughts and earthquakes. The DMAF is also part of the federal Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, which provides $180 billion over 12 years into green infrastructure, public transit projects, rural and northern communities, trade and transportation routes and social infrastructure.
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