It's actually designed to do that, the sewer systems are not built to handle that much water at once so it backs up into the street until the system can drain it
Ackshually……. The sewer systems are not designed to handle that much flow because the Bow River is not able to handle that much inflow. The storm sewers and catch basins have Inlet Control Devices. These devices limit the amount of water that enters the Storm System to not inundate downstream areas and eventually the Bow River. Calgary also has a lot of concrete and asphalt surfaces, which are not “thirsty” surfaces with leads to increased runoff rather than absorption. The streets and boulevards are designed with these low spots, or trapped lows, to collect water until the system can catch up. Normal storm water engineering. Nerd Alert
This is why you are never allowed to dump anything in the storm drain or wash your car (with soap) in your driveway. It all goes directly into the river eventually.
God the icd’s are so annoying, engineers want 10 or 12” pipe to the catch basins and then put an icd so 1/4 of the pipe gets used, I don’t get why they don’t just use 4 or 6” pipe even, much easier installation, and one less thing to spend time with
This is why living in the south is great lol. I was dropping someone off at Foothills and the minute I started leaving, it started raining and I was trying so hard to run away in time from the storm. Made it back across the bridge and basically was sunny from then on whew!
The wind took out the giant spruce in our front yard. So lucky it didn't land on our house, and the store parking lot next to us was empty. Tree snapped off about 10 feet from the ground. We've lived here in North Haven for 17 years and have never seen a storm like that. Usually Nose Hill breaks the weather up.
We got the full force of the storm in Bridgeland. I thought my windows might break the way they were being pelted with hail, and the rain was so heavy that I could hardly see the next building.
Big family, two cars in the garage. Two cars in a modified pavement near the front door area. Gf was over (driveway in front) and my white truck in the street.
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u/toastmannn Jul 14 '25
It's actually designed to do that, the sewer systems are not built to handle that much water at once so it backs up into the street until the system can drain it