Halifax making plans to address recurring flooding problems

WATCH: Ever wonder how your city ranks when it comes to flood preparedness? A new survey from the University of Waterloo did just that. It determined three Maritime cities out of fifteen across the country, ranked at the bottom of the list. In fact, Halifax came in last in the country. Global’s Natasha Pace looks into why the city is so prone to flooding.

HALIFAX – As flooding becomes an increasingly worrisome issue for Halifax residents and businesses, the city is looking to adapt in order to avoid problems in the future.

The region sees extreme weather events on a regular basis, which can lead to flooding problems.

“It’s an old city with older infrastructure and the city could be doing more to address this issue,” said Jocelyn Rankin from the Ecology Action Centre.

Halifax Water said outdated infrastructure is indeed a problem when it comes to potential flooding.

Halifax Water, which is responsible for the underground infrastructure in the city, says investments are being made, but it will take time to update.

“We’re looking to invest about $2.6 billion over the next 30 years in the water, waste water and storm water system,” Campbell said.

Rankin said the city is looking to avoid building homes too close to areas prone to flooding in the future.

Extreme weather was a hot topic at the Atlantic Mayors’ Congress in Halifax last month, with the city looking to bolster its preparedness for extreme weather events.

“Flooding is an issue and the changing weather, we see it,” said Richard MacLellan, manager of energy and environment for Halifax. “We don’t have to argue what the cause is, or whether it’s coming or not.”

MacLellan said fixing the flooding issues in the municipality will be expensive and is years away from being complete.

“Plan and adapt is what the key is. … We understand that this is the new risk, how do we do those things,” he said.