Warwick Area Flooding Review

The City of Woodstock is investigating new, cost-effective and minimally disruptive ways to prevent flooding in the Warwick neighbourhood through a review of the Norwich and Warwick Area Flooding Study Class Environmental Assessment.

What is the Norwich and Warwick Area Flooding Study Class Environmental Assessment?

The Norwich and Warwick Area Flooding Study Class Environmental Assessment was completed in July 2012 to address flooding of basements, yards, and local streets in the area. The environmental assessment reviewed the cause of the flooding and evaluated potential solutions.

Flooding in the Warwick area included severe surface ponding in the low-lying intersection of Warwick Street and Cambridge Street, ponding at the Warwick Street and Belgrave Street intersection, and basement and backyard flooding in several low-lying areas.

The recommendations that came out of the environmental assessment included strategically located underground storage facilities and an upgrade of the Hughson Street storm sewer.

Why are we reviewing the Environmental Assessment?

The City of Woodstock implemented numerous solutions from the environmental assessment, including upgrades to the Hughson Street Storm sewer, construction of the Knightsbridge Park stormwater management facility (a surface dry pond inside of the Fairgrounds track), and the DM Sutherland facility.

Since then, flooding in the area has reduced and the City stopped receiving basement flooding complaints from area residents.

The remaining stormwater management solution – the Cambridge/Warwick underground stormwater management facility - proceeded to the detailed design phase where the updated cost estimates proved to be much higher than estimated in the initial environmental assessment. 

Due to the success of the management solutions already implemented and the higher-than-expected costs and severe impacts and disruption to local residents caused by construction, the City of Woodstock has asked AECOM to revisit the environmental assessment to investigate new alternative solutions that will be more cost effective and less disruptive to the local residents.

The study area will be focused around Hughson Street, Warwick Street and Cambridge Street.

What’s been done so far?

To date, the City’s consultants have completed a stormwater monitoring and hydraulic/hydrologic modelling report. This report suggested that stormwater runoff volume from the watershed is slightly smaller than suggested in the 2012 Environmental Assessment. The consultant team will review the results of the modelling and develop alternatives to provide further stormwater relief for the area. These alternatives including the recommended solution from 2012, will be evaluated against a set of Environmental Criteria (Social/Cultural, Technical, Natural Environment, Cost etc.) to ultimately find the preferred alternative solution. The results will be presented at the Public Information Centre planned this summer.

Complete the Survey!

We are gathering information that will help inform the Warwick Area Flooding Review process. If you live or work within the boundaries of Hughson Street (from Cambridge Street to Winchester Street) and Cambridge Street to Warwick Street please complete this quick survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3LB58HQ

What’s Next?

Public Information Centre – Summer 2022
Final Report and Recommendations – Winter 2022

Contact Us

If you have questions about the Warwick Area Flooding Review Study, please contact:

Harold de Haan, P. Eng.,

City Engineer, City of Woodstock
Tel: 519-539-2382 x3112
Email: hdehaan@cityofwoodstock.ca

Paul Adams, CPT

Environmental Planner, AECOM
D +1-519-636-6448
Email: paul.adams2@aecom.com