Feds earmark $5.92M for flood-prevention infrastructure in Selkirk, Man.

The federal government is investing $5.92 million in new infrastructure that will help prevent flooding in Selkirk, Man.

Drawing from the federal Disaster and Mitigation Adaptation Fund, the Storm Water Management Capacity Building Program will include three projects aimed at protecting Selkirk’s homes, businesses, roads, and essential infrastructure.

The city will construct a west end storm retention pond in a new development to capture storm water to reduce the risk of overland flooding during heavy rainstorms and snowmelt runoff each spring.

The project will also continue the city’s combined sewer separation program to divide storm from wastewater sewers to reduce basement flooding and sewage backup.

The city’s storm water retention ponds in the Creekside and Woodlands Developments will also see improvements to aeration systems and water elevation reduction to discourage algae growth and help protect natural habitats and ecosystems.

“Climate change is going to have huge impacts on not only our infrastructure, but most importantly the people in our communities if we don’t make the investments needed now,” Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson said in a news release. “The unprecedented events that we experienced in the Creekside development and throughout Selkirk this spring will continue to happen more frequently and will further impact people’s homes and safety. Selkirk, with partners, remains dedicated to investing in the sustainable infrastructure needed to mitigate these risks.”