Fort McMurray's flood mitigation berm system seriously flawed, report says

Fort McMurray's multi-million-dollar berm system, the heartof the community's flood mitigation efforts, is incomplete and seriously flawed,concludes areport by an independent engineering company.

Some sections of the flood berm are built to withstanda once-in-40-year flood, whileothers protect against a once-in-100-year flood level, the report says.

Also, culverts and vents run throughout the bermallowingwater to find pathways through the barrier, eventually flooding the sewer system andbackupinto homes.

"The house itself may not be flooded at the surface, but because the sanitary sewer may be backed up or is backed up, the water was able to come back up that sanitary sewer line into every house,"Jason Vanderzwaag, manager of Associated Engineering, told municipal councilTuesday night, during a marathon, 11-hour special meeting.

The inconsistentand porousbermallowed water to gush through the system of berms from multiple angles,the report said.

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Water passed over parts of theberm that were too lowto withstand a once-in-100-year flood, enteringthe sewer system, causing backups into people's basements, it said.

In short, "a comprehensive flood-protection system was not in place at the time of the 2020 river-breakup flood,"Vanderzwaagsaid.

"Instead, what there was, was a series of different infrastructure elements built to different standards these elements weren't constructed to act as a single comprehensive system."

The report quashedrumours that Fort McMurray's flap gates, a barrier that lets storm water enter the river but closes to stop river water from flowing backwards, failed, although the gateswere compromised.

The report foundthe water treatment plant had multiple faulty mechanisms, leading to the almost three-month boil water advisory in town.

The sluice gate, which moves up and down to control water flow,bent when operators tried to close it and remaineda few inches openduring the flood, the report said.

This meant that river water was pumped into the distribution network.

The sluice gate and flap gates have since been repaired, Vanderzwaag said.

Buyouts offered for Ptarmigan Court

Council passed a motion to offer voluntary buy outs to those living in Ptarmigan Court. The area was impacted heavily by the flood, and a berm system is not feasible for the area. The municipality was looking into the option of land swaps, but the municipality hasn't been able to secure necessary land from the provincial government for a swap.

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Council also passed a motion to implement a backflow preventer grant program. Council approved $1 million for the Sanitary Sewer Backwater Prevention program, which will reimburse homeownersup to $3,000 for the installation of a backwater valve.

The municipality will accept applications for that program in March 2021.