50-year plan to protect Ottawa waterway considered
CBC news - Monday, October 17, 2011
Storm water from driveways, roofs, roads overloading Pinecrest Creek
Environment advocate John Almstedt has long fought for local waterways, including Pinecrest Creek, which has been overloaded by storm water for years. (photo by Giacomo Panico/CBC)
The City of Ottawa’s environment committee is set to vote on a 50-year plan to rehabilitate an urban stream in the west end prone to flooding that in turn ruins the shoreline and kills aquatic life.
Pinecrest Creek, a four-kilometer long natural tributary flowing from Algonquin College into the Ottawa River, has become overloaded over the years by storm water from driveways, roofs and roads in the area.
As a result, the creek suffers the ill effects of erosion while oil, salt and other pollutants adversely affect water quality and contribute to closures at Westboro beach.
“Sometimes we’ve seen it’s very murky and we just wonder where that comes from,” said Maria Austin, who often strolls in the Pinecrest neighbourhood.
To reduce the amount of storm water reaching the creek, the city is proposing a mix of measures involving public and private property. Staff propose narrowing nine kilometres of streets by one metre to reduce storm water runoff and building two stormwater ponds for drainage.
Staff would also like the city to undertake a campaign to encourage homeowners and businesses in the area to install up to 4,700 rain barrels. They would also convert 48 hectares of asphalt parking lots, sidewalks and driveways into pourous surfaces.
The environment committee will vote Tuesday on whether to approve the plan and forward it to council.
50-year timeline reasonable: advocate
“The city’s got to provide the leadership, but it’s up to the community, the average citizen, to take inspiration from that and do something themselves,” said John Almstedt, a member of the Environment Technical advisory committee who has long fought for local waterways.
The estimated $43-million cost of implementing the plan will be spread out over 50 years, a timeframe Almstedt calls reasonable.
“Well it took even a longer time to create the problem in the first place and you can’t see a quick fix,” said Almstedt.
Kickstarting the plan is expected cost $2 million in 2012, $2 million more in 2013 and $9 million in 2014.
City staff is hoping the rehabilitation plan will become a model for urban streams in Ottawa.
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