Water, Water Everywhere
In 2009, Ottawa had a very damp summer. It was mostly an inconvenience for those who love the outdoors. The volume of rain that fell became an issue, as the summer passed.
For the farmers around Ottawa there was too much water. Crops were ruined by too much rain. Â This meant less local produce in our stores, which was disappointing and more expensive for the consumer.
The other issue was basement flooding. Some folks in lower areas were getting water coming into their homes through their foundations. That problem led to a surge in demand for contractors who repair and waterproof foundations. It also caused a rush on the sale of submersible sump pumps. Was the damage covered under their insurance policy?
More Fun with Sewers?
The other more fun issue that arose was backing up sewer systems. This is where the drains in the basement of the house backs up. Instead of taking water away from the house, the sewer does the opposite. It brings the sewer contents into the basement. This damage is much worse and may not be covered under most insurance either. You need to check closely in your insurance policy.
This kind of backup is very bad. Your basement contents are ruined by the water. It is also contaminated by "sewer contents" (if you catch my drift). Your basement becomes a Bio-Hazard and you won't be allowed back in your house until it is cleaned up.
There is a "valve" device that you can put on your basement drain. This drain is the one in the floor of your foundation. It will attempt to stop this kind of "back up". If anyone is interested in commenting on the insurance aspect, please feel free to share your thoughts. You can also provide insights on the preventive measure of this valve.
Read your home insurance and weigh the value of getting coverage for home flooding.
Regarding backflow prevention for the basement floor drain, I found them at Canadian Tire (after a house inspector made a recommendation to get one).
Just finished digging a large hole on the outside wall of my basement to fix a tiny crack in the wall … arghh! Fortunately, only a little water got in, not enough to trigger the water sensors connected to the alarm system, which was installed after an internal toilet drain pipe spilled smelly stuff all over the basement and caused a very expensive cleanup. The minor repairs aren’t worth claiming on insurance but insurance sure is necessary for the big ones!
http://www.backwater-valves.com/Backwater-Valve-Diagram.asp
This is a good look at these types of valves, and their relation to the street sewer system elevations.