Falmouth still flooding, cleaner ditches may help

BY NADINE ARMSTRONG

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

Residents in Falmouth were flooded again after the last bout of heavy rain and some say they are no closer to a solution than they were when West Hants Municipal Council was first approached for help months ago.

However, a recommendation by public works director Rick Sherrard at the last Council session should, in his estimation, get residents through the wet winter season.

Sherrard proposed to have the ditches between properties cleaned out to allow better water flow. “It may not be the best solution, but hopefully it will make things better,” he said. “We've got to give these folks some relief, and quickly.”

The plan is not to increase the size of the ditches or make them deeper, but simply to remove any debris impeding the flow of water. “Even by cleaning them out, it will relieve the pressure a bit,” Sherrard said.

Council agreed, but first it will need to obtain the permission of residents to go on their properties. Councillors will visit landowners and work with them to get approval for the work at the municipality’s cost. “Bottom line is we need the cooperation of the residents. We'll foot the bill if they give us the go-ahead,” Sherrard said.

But cooperation may be hard to obtain from frustrated landowners. Victor Swinamer of Falmouth has acted as community spokesperson. He said cleaning out the ditches would only direct the water downstream onto someone else's land.

“What council is trying to do is just a Band-aid solution,” he said. The general concern is, by giving permission to the municipality, the residents are taking on any liability. “If the water ends up flooding other property owners then we're liable, not the municipality,” he said.

‘Not going to work’

“It’s just not going to work,” said Laura Fisher, whose family has borne the worst of the flooding since buying their property six months ago. She said the amount of water on their property after a rain is “unfit” and unless council can come up with a viable solution, she opposes the plan.

And because 200 feet of the ditch is on the Fisher property, she says there are legalities involved for any work the municipality proposes. “Really, I don't have the technical knowledge to know what the answer would be, but these ditches aren't designed to hold the water even if they’re cleaned out,” she said.

Charlie Card has had much of his land flooded since the original ditch - which dealt with water flow - was filled in two years ago to accommodate Meadows Development. His land doesn't border on a ditch so council won’t approach him, but he’s still concerned.

“There’s just too much water,” he said. “I can't really see how cleaning the ditch out will help when the culvert under the highway is too small to take the water once it gets there.”

Area councillor Rick Gaudet said it’s the best short-term solution and once council’s solicitor has drafted the letter of permission, Gaudet will approach the landowners.

“I'm hoping by next week we can get moving on this,” he said. “If we can clean them out and make the water flow better at our own cost, it can't hurt.”

He says council is hoping for an excellent response and can't see how there would be any liability issues for landowners. And if that doesn't work, Gaudet says council will go back to the drawing board. “I hope it works, but we won't know until we at least try. And if it doesn't, then we'll look at it again until there is a solution.”