APPENDIX A

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is stormwater?

Stormwater is the water that flows into our sewers, creeks and lakes after it rains or from melting snow. In natural areas, stormwater can soak into the ground where it lands or be absorbed by vegetation. In urban areas, stormwater runs off hard surfaces (such as rooftops, parking areas, backyard patios, and roads), carrying pollution (such as debris, chemicals) into streams and rivers. Stormwater runoff from urban areas is greater in amount (since water cannot get into the natural ground that is covered with houses, roads, parking lots etc.), and flows off the land much more rapidly, increasing the potential to cause flooding and erosion along the way. Pollutants carried in stormwater enters the natural environment and has negative effects on water quality and the natural environment. Stormwater must be managed to reduce the risk of flooding and erosion, and to minimize harm to the environment.

2. What does it mean to me?

Individuals often do not think much about stormwater until they are directly affected either through disruptions caused by a severe storm event or due to property damage from flooding. But stormwater runoff can impact the community in several ways:

• Flooding from storm events can damage public as well as personal property, impact business operations and even hinder our day-to-day activities.
• Runoff can pick up and transport harmful pollutants such as oil, grease, trash and fertilizers to our water ways.
• Rapid drainage from developed land can cause severe erosion of stream banks and scouring of creeks, further degrading water quality and impacting valuable habitats.

The City’s Engineering, Public Works and Pollution Control departments look after the stormwater management system that collects, transports, controls and in some cases treats stormwater runoff.

3. What is the City’s role in managing stormwater?

The City of Windsor is responsible for managing stormwater within the municipality. This includes planning, designing, constructing, operating and maintaining stormwater assets within municipal roadways, public easements and other City lands. The stormwater management program is crucial in protecting public safety and health and works to reduce flood risk, control erosion and maintain water quality in local natural waterways.

Stormwater, both quality and quantity, are managed by the City’s stormwater program. This includes operating and maintaining storm sewers, ditches, inlets, stormwater management facilities (ponds), bridges, culverts, infiltration facilities, oil grit separators, engineered and natural channels, and storm sewer outfalls to streams and watercourses.