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City of Hamilton water damage estimates run well into the millions

Crews work to clean up mud and debris in Dundas, Ont.
Crews work to clean up mud and debris in Dundas, Ont. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power

The City of Hamilton is trying to tally up the costs of the high water levels along Lake Ontario and all the flooding this year.

The interim total so far ranges from $4.5 million on the low end, up to almost $7 million.

That’s for things like damage to the area trails, infrastructure and escarpment remediation.

City of Hamilton General Manager for Public Works, Dan McKinnon, says the wet weather the city has had this year is different than what meteorologists had predicted.

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He says “the prediction was for long periods of drought punctuated by really torrential downpours and we haven’t had the drought this year, just lots and lots of rain.”

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LISTEN: Dan McKinnon joins the Bill Kelly Show

McKinnon says “the older infrastructure in Hamilton along with a water treatment plant at the  far end of the weather track, means by the time the rain falls on the plant there is a lot of water headed that way.”

He adds “the city won’t know the full impact of the damage and resulting costs until the water levels recede and that isn’t expected for several weeks at least, if the weather co-operates and we don’t get any more unusually high rainfall amounts.”

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