City looks to stem run-off by expanding rain retrofit program

A program that helps residents make Ottawa a spongier city by soaking up rainwater on their properties could soon reach more neighbourhoods.

Three years after launching Rain Ready as a pilot program, city staff are recommending a permanent and expanded version.

It pays for absorbent retrofits such as rain gardens and permeable driveways to help prevent flooding and protect watersheds from harmful stormwater runoff.

Right now, financial incentives are only available in two areas of the city, but staff are looking to offer rebates to more neighbourhoods in the south and west.

Glen McDonald, director of planning and science at the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, said the cumulative effect of small changes that redirect or absorb stormwater can make a big difference.

He said runoff can "dramatically" affect water quality by carrying pollutants such as nitrates, chlorides and ammonia produced by everything from road salt and roofing materials to animal waste and garden fertilizers — and that's not all.

"If we have a lot of stormwater run-off entering into our natural systems, it can exacerbate the flood risk," he said.

Program fits into 'sponge city' concept

Cities are full of impervious surfaces including buildings, driveways and roads that don't absorb rainwater. That adds to flooding risks that are only likely to get worse with climate change.

Researchers have used the term "sponge city" to describe a more sustainable alternative: a city that traps stormwater where it falls instead of channeling it over pavement and concrete.

According to a city report coming to council's environment and climate change committee, the Rain Ready program has paid out about $340,000 so far and helped unlock about four times that amount in private spending.

Most rebates have funded redirected downspouts and permeable pavement, though rain gardens and soakaway pits that store rainwater have also gotten funding. Payments cap out at a combined total of $5,000 per property.

Those incentives are limited to "priority areas," which include Orléans, most eastern suburbs inside the Greenbelt, Westboro and a few suburbs directly to its south that drain into Pinecrest Creek.

Staff are recommending expanding the program to include watersheds of creeks that drain into the Rideau and Ottawa rivers. That would cover most western and southern suburbs inside the Greenbelt.

Areas that already already have access to Rain Ready financial incentives are marked in blue, with new proposed priority areas in orange. Red areas drain directly into the Ottawa or Rideau rivers and are considered lower priority, but may be considered at a later date. (City of Ottawa)

Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven would not be included. The report notes that newer suburbs are built with more modern stormwater management systems.

The expanded program also wouldn't cover areas that drain straight into the Rideau and Ottawa rivers. McDonald said focusing on smaller watersheds first makes sense.

"That's where you're going to … realize the most positive benefit," he said.

Free assessments could be scaled back

Financial incentives are only one part of the program. It also helps train landscapers and offers free assessments for some homeowners.

The assessments, which advise residents on the best ways to reduce runoff from their properties, have been so popular that the city had built up a waitlist of 800 by the end of 2022.

Now, staff are recommending axing that part of the program for single-family homes, and targeting them to lowrise condominiums and co-operative housing complexes in priority areas instead. They say relying on online learning modules would be more cost-effective.

The report also recommends adding rain barrels as an eligible expense for financial incentives, provided they're installed with a downspout diverter.

The staff proposals will come to the environment and climate change committee next week, and would then have to go to council for final approval.