The Town of Essex is inviting residents to learn more about the drainage act and its role in managing municipal drains across the community.
Town staff will be holding an open house at the Harrow Arena, 243 McAffee Street, on Wednesday Nov. 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Mayor Sherry Bondy said she believes residents may not understand how rural drainage works.
"If you live in an urban centre, you pay an urban tax levy covers your storm water, but, if you live in a rural part of the municipality of Essex your property falls under the drainage act. So we really want to make sure that everybody is aware of how drainage works, and if they feel that they need help with drainage, how they can get that help," Bondy said.
Bondy said in certain parts of the municipality, drainage improvements are community led.
"Meaning that if you are assessed into a rural drain, if you feel that the drain that isn't keeping up with water, that is something that you have to initiate, you and your neighbours, and it's cost recovery. We really want to make sure that residents understand the process, how to do it," she said.
Bondy said she wants to hear from the community on if the municipality should be developing in Colchester south of County Road 50.
"Drainage looks at water coming down from the sky, but, really what we're seeing now we've had two floods since my time as mayor. What we're seeing is overland water rushing. We're calling it sheetwater. I have a lot of questions myself and I'm hoping people come out, ask questions, and we're going to make some maybe bold steps after this," Bondy said.
On Sept. 24, Environment Canada recorded over 190 mm, or seven inches of rain, over the Harrow region, leaving roads and some basements flooded.
The storm was very similar to one that hit over two days in Aug. 2023, when 214 mm of rain, or 8.4 inches fell, prompting Environment Canada to call it a "one in 100 year event."