Catch basins and warm weather

With the warmer weather and ongoing snow melt, The City of Calgary Water Services crews are continuing their efforts to address problems with frozen catch basins and water pooling. Water Services is prepared to bring on additional crews to take care of priority calls.  Calgarians are asked for their patience as crews attend to those calls. The priority in which calls are responded to is as follows:

• Property building damage (e.g. water entering houses,  garages or business) and safety (e.g. water pooling on high speed roadways);  
• Location (e.g. areas in front of playground zones, school zones, hospital zones, bus zones and handicap access;
• Flooded roadways including intersections.

Since the beginning of March 2014, Water Services has received approximately 3,500 catch basin-related calls. There are approximately 48,000 catch basins in Calgary. Water crews have been working diligently for the past month thawing frozen catch basins to ensure that they drain properly. Although snow and ice continues to melt above ground, below the surface it’s still frozen down to a depth of eight feet and special thawing equipment is required.

If Calgarians notice a problem with a frozen catch basin or flooding, they should contact 311. The City does not advise that you try to clear the catch basin yourself as you cannot see potential hazards under the water's surface. However, if it is safe to do so, it is okay to clear a channel along the gutter for water to flow to the catch basin.

Melting snow can also impact your home and Calgarians are reminded of simple actions they can take themselves. Shovel snow away from your foundation and make sure your eavestroughs are clear of snow, ice and debris. Also ensure your downspouts are pointed away from the house and not towards your neighbour’s.

For other tips on protecting your property from water due to snow melt visit calgary.ca/flooding.

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Public Contact Information:
The City of Calgary, 3-1-1 Operations Centre
Phone: 3-1-1 or from outside the local calling area phone 403.268.CITY (2489)