Drain Services in Burlington

Burlington's two major flood events in 2014 and 2024 revealed the limits of aging infrastructure. Many homes that flooded had blockages or outdated drain systems that made the damage far worse.

Burlington has experienced two defining flood events in recent memory: August 2014, when over 3,000 households reported flooding, and July 2024, when 75mm of rain in a short period triggered a Level 2 municipal emergency affecting over 1,500 households. The City has identified a $25 million infrastructure deficit related to flooding. Burlington sits between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment — natural drainage flows from the escarpment toward the lake, passing through residential areas and multiple creek systems including Rambo Creek, Tuck Creek, and Grindstone Creek. The high water table near the lakefront creates year-round hydrostatic pressure on foundation weeping tiles in Aldershot, Roseland, and the downtown core, independent of rainfall. After the 2014 flood, Halton Region disconnected over 1,000 downspouts from the sanitary sewer — homes that haven't had this done still have an illegal connection that adds to backup risk.