Translation: Alexandre Hackett 

The Town of Brome Lake has invested significant sums, in recent years, to reduce the number of wastewater overflows from its sanitary sewer network into the lake, in particular by equipping the pumping stations with new generators. 

This upgrade project is still underway, with the town intending to increase the capacity of certain pumps and equip the stations with instruments to measure the volumes of water being discharged into the lake in the near future. In 2021 and 2022, we only counted one such overflow, which occurred during a scheduled maintenance operation. 

However, as climate experts predict, we will experience more intense rain events in the future, and this will put a strain on municipal networks. Such an event occurred last July, with around 100mm of rain falling on our territory in just under 36 hours. According to information collected from the city, three municipal pumping stations out of twelve overflowed for 1 hour, 3 hours, and 7 hours respectively. It is estimated that thousands of litres of sewage were dumped into the lake. 

Faced with climate change, cities must rethink the way they design their infrastructure and develop their territory to minimize the impacts of extreme phenomena, such as sewer overflows. Among the solutions, experts suggest promoting the absorption of water in the soil at the source, as well as water retention. 

In the Town of Brome Lake, as rainwater is directed to the receiving environment via storm sewers (not very present) and especially ditches, it should not have much effect on the sanitary network. But in the past, French drains could be connected to the sanitary network, a practice which, during heavy rains, can contribute to overloading the network. Additionally, in some circumstances, groundwater can seep into sewer pipes. 

Here are some things we can do to reduce the potential for overflows and their duration: 

• Continue, or even intensify, the municipal program to upgrade the sewer network.
  
• Direct the water from our downspouts towards a permeable part of our property.
  
• Develop water gardens to encourage its absorption into the soil.
  
• Disconnect gutter downspouts from French drains.
  
• Disconnect the French drains from the municipal network, pump the water to the surface and let it infiltrate into the ground away from the building. More than ever, in this era of climate change, let’s protect our lake by participating in healthy rainwater management.