New Problem, Old Remedy

IBC Tests Rain Barrels

Old-fashioned rain barrels could be the solution to overburdened sewer systems and flooding, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). A bureau pilot project is using barrels to take pressure off sewers and prevent back-up related flooding.

Roughly 1,000 homeowners in Wingham, Ontario, are using the barrels as part of the joint township-IBC project, launched May 27.  The town has a history of sewer back-up problems during rainstorms. “By collecting rain water we can hopefully provide some
relief to our over-burdened sewer infrastructure which is dealing with
ever-increasing amounts of rain water due to changing weather patterns," said
Mary Lou O’Reilly, IBC Vice-President of Public Affairs and Marketing. “By encouraging entire communities to collect rain water, we hope to reduce the number of
flooded basements and the demand for treated water."

Just one barrel can collect about 45 gallons of water, and the IBC estimates that if 55,000 households used them, it could keep 2.5 million gallons of water out of the sewer system.

This story was originally published by Canadian Insurance Top Broker.