Stormwater in Leduc

Stormwater is water from rain and melted snow that runs off lawns, roofs, pavement and goes into sewers, ditches, culverts, creeks and lakes. The most visible impact of stormwater is flooding during large rainfall events that can cause damage to property, infrastructure and the environment. Stormwater can also cause erosion, sedimentation and pollution.

How we manage stormwater is integral to maintaining sustainable neighbourhoods to ensure stormwater is directed away from your property. The management of stormwater is essential to reduce the risk of flooding, and to conserve and protect water resources.

The City’s Stormwater Master Plan assesses the performance of our stormwater management infrastructure against the most severe storms we may face. It calls for the addition of  stormwater infrastructure in older areas of Leduc to be done in conjunction with regular road maintenance projects. This allows us to: 

  • Reduce costs by constructing utilities and roads together. 
  • Extending the life of roadways by reducing the frequency and severity of ponding on them. 
  • Increase stormwater service levels in older neighbourhoods during more intense storms. 

How the system works

Stormwater is collected from your property and moves through a ditch, culvert, or pipe to a storm pond. These ponds hold water in low areas to protect nearby homes and buildings from flooding.

The water is then discharged downstream to creeks and lakes at a slow rate to protect erosion. Because stormwater does not pass through a water treatment plant, we need to keep the water as clean as possible.

Ways you can help keep stormwater clean:

  • Point downspouts towards lawns and gardens or use a rain barrel.
  • Dispose of harmful products appropriately (paint, oil, food waste, car cleaning products, etc.)
  • Limit use of fertilizers and pesticides
  • Sweep driveways and sidewalks to prevent debris from entering storm drains
  • Use environmentally friendly cleaning and gardening products
  • Pick up and properly dispose of pet waste

About stormwater infrastructure

As water collects on roadways, it is guided by curbs and gutters to catch basins and flows into underground piping. The catch basin is buried below the sidewalk and street with only a grate exposed to the surface. They are strategically located where there will be a lot of stormwater runoff and at low points.

Manholes are in the street and used as access points for the City’s operations and maintenance workers. Manholes connect pipes and allow for flushing of debris from within the pipes. The City operates roughly 4,500 manholes and catch basins, and more than 130 km of storm sewer mains ranging up to 2.1m in diameter in size.

Outfalls are where the stormwater system discharges water. There are many discharge locations in Leduc, but the system has six crucial discharge points: Deer Creek, Telford Lake, a creek in the southwest corner of Leduc, Saunders Lake and ditches along Highway 2.

Diagram of how Stormwater in Leduc work.