Basement Flooding Protection Program Status Update

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The decision

2025-04-23 · Toronto City Council · amended

As filed

City Council on April 23 and 24, 2025, adopted the following: 1. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Water and the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, as part of the Enhancing the Capital Construction Delivery Process Initiative, to implement a plan to accelerate delivery of projects identified through the Basement Flooding Protection Program that meet the cost per benefitting property threshold, contingent on the outcome of Part 2 below.

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2. City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to report back to City Council through the 2026 Budget Process on the capital delivery resources and cash flow requirements necessary to support the accelerated delivery of the Basement Flooding Protection Program and highlight any challenges or obstacles constraining acceleration. 3. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Water, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, to develop and implement an enhanced service standard for responding to and investigating overland flooding resulting from blocked or surcharging catch basins, and to report back to City Council in the third quarter of 2025 with the details of the proposed service standard and implementation plan. 4. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Water, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, to report back to City Council in the third quarter of 2025 with an implementation plan, proposed service standards, and priority areas for preventative maintenance activities aimed at reducing the risk of overland flooding which may include street sweeping, catch basin clearing, and sewer inspection, and should be informed by historical flooding data and studies such as the City's Basement Flooding Protection Program studies. 5. City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water to install sewer level monitoring sensors in the area of The Westway and Islington Avenue which has experienced numerous instances of flooding. 6. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and the General Manager, Toronto Water, to report back in advance of the consideration of the 2026 Budget on the feasibility of implementing a grant program to support property owners in enhancing green stormwater infrastructure features on their property to improve stormwater management such as: rain gardens, permeable pavement, bioswales, rainwater harvesting systems, french drains, soakawaypits, etc.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

This report provides a status update on the Basement Flooding Protection Program, including the completion of studies and the ongoing and future implementation of Basement Flooding Protection Program infrastructure upgrades in alignment with the City's recent efforts to enhance capital construction delivery. It also recommends implementing a plan to accelerate project delivery. Since its inception in 2006, the Basement Flooding Protection Program has made substantial progress, successfully completing all 67 Basement Flooding studies across the city.

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These studies have identified nearly 1,200 recommended projects, valued at approximately $18 billion in construction costs, aimed at reducing urban flooding risks. Of those projects identified, approximately 650 were found to meet the program's cost per benefitting property threshold and are eligible to progress to design and construction. At the current rate of project delivery, these projects will take about 50 years to complete. To date, 167 projects have been constructed, reducing flood risk for an estimated 31,000 benefitting properties. With all studies now complete and following the storm events of the summer of 2024, Council requested an assessment of options to accelerate the construction of the remaining Basement Flooding Protection Program projects taking into consideration findings from Engineering and Construction Services' review of capital delivery models for large complex municipal infrastructure programs and projects. The Basement Flooding Protection Program, delivered by Engineering and Construction Services, will align with the recommendations from the Enhancing the Capital Construction Delivery Process Initiative, a culmination of industry research, City-led analysis, and Council direction. This may include improvements to project execution through the Integrated Project Management Framework, enhancements to community engagement, refinement of procurement and vendor management, and the exploration of new delivery models and contracts. These measures will increase efficiency and accelerate the delivery of Basement Flooding Protection Program projects. Preliminary estimates suggest that if Toronto Water increased annual Basement Flooding Protection Program construction expenditures by $50 million, and the necessary resources and supports (such as procurement and contract management frameworks) were in place, the delivery rate could increase by 50 percent. This would benefit an additional 1,000 properties per year and reduce the schedule to complete Basement Flooding Protection Program projects within the cost per benefitting property threshold from 50 years to approximately 35 years.

Staff recommended

The General Manager, Toronto Water recommends that: 1. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Water, and the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, as part of the Enhancing the Capital Construction Delivery Process Initiative, to implement a plan to accelerate delivery of projects identified through the Basement Flooding Protection Program that meet the cost per benefitting property threshold, contingent on the outcome of Recommendation 2.

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2. City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to report back to City Council through the 2026 Budget Process, on the capital delivery resources and cash flow requirements necessary to support the accelerated delivery of the Basement Flooding Protection Program and highlight any challenges or obstacles constraining acceleration.

Considered

2025-04-09 · Infrastructure and Environment Committee · adopted
Decision as filed
The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that: 1. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Water, and the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, as part of the Enhancing the Capital Construction Delivery Process Initiative, to implement a plan to accelerate delivery of projects identified through the Basement Flooding Protection Program that meet the cost per benefitting property threshold, contingent on the outcome of Recommendation 2.
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2. City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to report back to City Council through the 2026 Budget Process, on the capital delivery resources and cash flow requirements necessary to support the accelerated delivery of the Basement Flooding Protection Program and highlight any challenges or obstacles constraining acceleration.
2025-04-23 · Toronto City Council · amended

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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