Ottawa allowing more garbage to be picked up following Canada Day torrential downpour

Ottawa allowing more garbage to be picked up following Canada Day torrential downpour

More than 3,200 basements flooded following Wednesday's storm

The city of Ottawa is allowing construction waste to be picked up at the curb, starting Monday, after heavy rainfall flooded parts of the city on Canada Day, creating havoc for many residents.

Environment Canada reported a total of 118 millimetres fell across the city on Wednesday, causing thousands of basements to flood and at least one apartment building to lose power, forcing many residents to relocate for weeks.

Starting Monday, “a special collection operation is scheduled to be deployed, in addition to regular curbside collection,” Alain Gonthier, the city’s general manager of public works, wrote in a release.

Additional trucks will help collect curbside garbage, “including storm-related debris and up to two garbage cans of construction debris,” he said.

But the city added that beyond the two extra garbage cans, it would not be collecting more.

“Residents will need to make those arrangements through their insurance or a contractor,” Gonthier wrote.

Ottawa mayor on extreme Canada Day weather

Starting in most affected areas

The special collection is starting in three severely flood-impacted areas of the city: Bay Ward, College Ward and Knoxdale-Merivale Ward, before moving to other impacted wards.

More than 3,200 basements flooded because of Wednesday’s storm, the city wrote, and people are asked to leave their waste at the curb.

For residents who have already had their regular curbside collection since Wednesday’s storm, the city said a truck will be by as soon as possible and asked residents to leave their waste at the curb. It said it’s trying to arrange for more collection vehicles to head to impacted neighbourhoods.

“We ask residents for their patience,” he wrote. “As a reminder, the three-item limit will not be enforced for properties impacted by basement flooding, and it may take multiple passes to collect all the waste created by this flooding. We ask that residents leave their waste at the curb.”