Erin Rutherford

"Unprecedented" no longer feels like a strong enough word.

As of July 20, Edmonton has received 451.1mm of rain. That is more than double our average entire summer rainfall, and we are only halfway through the season.

This historic volume has put immense pressure on our stormwater systems, leading to severe street flooding, sewer backups, and emergency repairs across our city, including the active sinkhole repair work in Lauderdale.

In my latest blog post, I’m sharing:

- An update on EPCOR's emergency repairs and flood mitigation plan

- Important Lauderdale road closure details and safety updates

Read the full update on my blog:
https://www.erinrutherford.ca/extreme_rainfall_response_and_repairs

Thank you to everyone in the Northwest for your resilience, patience, and for stepping up to help your neighbors through a very tough summer.

Lauderdale Community League Calder Community League

EPCOR crews who have been working around the clock to keep our city running safely after the weekend’s storm.

While we’ve seen major progress, we’re still clearing away the damage. The City has extended hours at waste management sites to make debris cleanup easier for you, and we’re working to get all facilities back to normal as quickly as possible.

We appreciate your patience! Please keep an eye on the website for ongoing updates regarding facility closures and trail conditions.

Check for updates here: edmonton.ca/FacilityNotifications

The City has set up 29 temporary water bottle filling stations at fire hydrants across Edmonton, active all summer long until September 30.

Whether you are playing with the kids at Coronation Park, doggos exploring Lauderdale, or waiting at a transit centre, fresh tap water is always nearby.

Ditch the single-use plastic, grab your reusable bottle, and find your closest hydration station here: edmonton.ca/extreme-weather-summer

Edmontonians have been doing a great job sorting waste since 2021, but our food scraps carts are still seeing a lot of contamination. To help get things back on track, Waste Services is launching a backyard education pilot this spring and summer!

Neighbourhoods included in the pilot are Caernarvon & Carlisle from July 6 – August 14

What to expect if you're in a pilot neighborhood:

- Cart Inspections: Waste educators will check food scraps carts before collection.

- "Oops" Tags: If your cart has the wrong items, you’ll get a friendly "Oops" tag explaining what went wrong.

- Doorstep Support: Staff will follow up the next week to answer questions and share resources.

- Non-Collection: If contamination continues, your cart won't be collected.

This education-first approach helps reduce processing costs and keeps our system efficient! Affected residents will receive a letter and WasteWise app notifications ahead of time.

EPCOR is continuing their upgrades to reduce neighborhood flooding risk through sewer installations, dry pond construction, and upcoming washroom additions at the Lauderdale Off-Leash Dog Park.

Please see the attached construction update from EPCOR.