Canada/Building sites to reduce flooding starting this year in Trois-Rivières
The City of Trois-Rivières has presented a series of measures that will be implemented to improve water management in the Sienne district, in an attempt to reduce the risk of flooding in the area.
Some 50 citizens attended an information session at which the city presented construction projects aimed at improving the flow and retention of the Milette, Bettez and Lacerte rivers, according to a press release.
To complete these projects, the City of Trois-Rivières has earmarked $40 million over five years in its three-year capital expenditure plan.
The following projects were presented:
- Creation of a model representing the behavior of the three rivers in the area, estimated cost: $105,000
- Replacement of the Millette River culvert, estimated cost: $450,000
- Construction of a detour ditch, formerly known as the 4th river project, estimated cost: $3.5 million
- Reconstruction of the dam and redevelopment of the UQTR basin, estimated cost: $8 million
- Redevelopment of three watercourses, estimated cost to come
- Addition of retention basins, estimated cost to come
The City of Trois-Rivières indicates in its press release that the first three projects on the list could be completed by the end of 2025.
Sébastien Roy, deputy director general of planning and development for the city of Trois-Rivières, assures us that the city is planning future work as best it can. The science, the knowledge of climate change, is evolving day by day, week by week, month by month," he explains.
To local residents who want to see the flooding problems resolved as quickly as possible, Sébastien Roy maintains that the five-year plan presented takes into account the municipal budget and the authorizations required to carry out certain work. If there was an acceleration process to obtain environmental authorizations, or if we could work with funds that were not those of the municipalities, but those of the government, obviously, we could go faster.
The $40 million plan only concerns the Siena district. Other plans need to be drawn up for other areas of the city with chronic flooding problems.
Last August, Trois-Rivières city council adopted an interim control by-law that puts the brakes on construction that would add an additional volume of rainwater discharge to its water management system.
The by-law severely restricts several types of construction and could remain in place for three to five years, while the city implements measures to reduce the risk of flooding.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
