New water retention basin will help prevent flooding of more Windsor homes, officials say

While Windsor, Ont.’s existing anti-flooding infrastructure has helped prevent water from rising in some homeowners' basements during significant rainfall events, according to federal and municipal politicians, they say new funding has been confirmed to support a project that will keep water out of homes in other parts of the city.

The federal government announced Wednesday it is investing $33 million to support the construction of a new retention treatment basin at the Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant.

The project also includes the installation of a new pumping station that will help move the water from the basin to the plant, along with a new sewer and secondary outfall pipe.

While an existing outfall currently allows processed water to flow from the plant into the Detroit River, the secondary outfall would be connected directly from the basin.

The Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant in Windsor, Ont. as seen on August 31, 2022. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

"In 2016 and 2017, we experienced back-to-back, once-in-a-century storms and flooding that devastated over 9,000 homes and caused upwards of $300 million of insurable damage across Windsor-Essex," says Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk.

"I was a city councillor then and I will never forget standing with a family on the steps of their basement and staring with disbelief at over three feet of water in their basement. For too many, this was their second, third and fourth time their basements had been flooded,” says Kusmierczyk.

In 2018, the federal government launched the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) which allows municipalities to apply for funding to support flooding prevention initiatives. The $33 million investment will come from this fund.

“The construction of the retention treatment basin and a new pumping station will enhance the treatment abilities and greatly reduce the impacts of major storm events, including basement flooding, for nearly 62,000 homes, primarily those in south Windsor, Sandwich Towne and West Windsor, serviced by the Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant,” says Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.

He added while current infrastructure has helped prevent flooding for many homes in and around Windsor's core, others have not felt the same benefits.

"If you are an active user of our waterfront, you have no idea that underneath your feet is a giant holding tank that is taking all of the sewer water during high intensity rainstorms and holding it so we're not having to discharge it into the river," says Dilkens.

"Once the rain subsides, it then gets sent to the [Lou Romano] plant for treatment and discharged back to the Detroit River,” he adds. “That's great for that side of the city. But the part that we're missing is south Windsor and west Windsor."

The federal government announced on August 31, 2022 it is investing $33 million to support the construction of a new retention treatment basin at the Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant in Windsor, Ont. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)According to Windsor's city engineer Chris Nepszy, the retention basin that will be built at the Lou Romano plant will be one of the largest in the city.

"It's a little larger than the one that's existing right now at the riverfront. It's 80 meters by 40 meters by six meters. So it can hold about almost 20 million litres. It's a good size," says Nepszy.

Design plans have not been finalized for the new retention basin.

"It took several years to construct the other retention treatment basin...So we don't have plans ready on the shelf ready to go," says Dilkens.

He adds, "We needed the funding to be able to move this project forward. Now, we have confirmation that the funding will be there. We will rededicate money in our capital budget to meet our required portion. But all of the design work now has to happen."

Along with the $33 million contribution from the federal government, Dilkens says the city will unlock $55.8 million from its Sewer Master Plan to support the project.

Officials say completion is targeted for 2032.