Floods - Consequences and how to cope

Flooding can happen quickly. The important thing is to be well prepared, not only to ensure your safety, but also to plan ahead to minimize the damage these events can cause to our property.

Protecting homes and other buildingsHere's a link to a guide published by the Province of New Brunswick to better protect your home and its contents against flooding. While no method of flood protection can guarantee complete protection of a building and its contents from the effects of a flood, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of damage to occupants.
Download the guide – Floodproofing

Flood RecoveryThe New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (NB-EMO) has published an excellent guide entitled "Flood Recovery - Everything You Need to Know". This booklet guides homeowners through the clean-up and recovery process to ensure that their affected property is a safe and healthy place to live. It emphasizes the need to act as quickly as possible to protect the health of occupants and prevent further damage to home and property.
Download the guide – Flood Recovery

Importance of testing drinking water after floodingWhen a residential area is flooded, drinking water wells may be contaminated. If your well is under water following a flood, do not use the water. If your well water has an abnormal odor or discoloration even after you've let it run, or if you suspect that your well may be contaminated with chemicals such as fuel oil, gasoline, or agrochemicals, don't use it for any reason - even if you've boiled it.

If you notice any of these problems, please contact your local Department of the Environment and Local Government office at (506) 856-2374.

This document, published by the Government of New Brunswick, describes the steps to follow for chlorinating and testing water from wells affected by flooding.
Download the guide – WELL CHLORINATION AND WATER TESTING FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY FLOODING

Saltwater intrusion in drinking water wellsAs sea levels rise, there is also a significant risk of saltwater intrusion into the drinking water wells of our coastal communities. While the presence of sodium and chloride in groundwater is a normal phenomenon, high levels of saltwater intrusion into drinking water wells can be a health problem for people on sodium-restricted diets. High levels of sodium and chloride can also affect taste and the watering of certain plants and can increase the corrosiveness of water and damage domestic plumbing.

This fact sheet, published by the Province of New Brunswick, provides information on this subject and on what to do to prevent and deal with an intrusion.
Download the fact sheet – Salt in Private Drinking Water Wells

Septic systems Sea-level rise also raises the water table along the coast. This is likely to disrupt the infiltration of wastewater into the ground and, consequently, affect the operation of septic systems.

Septic tank flooding can be a dangerous situation for homeowners. It can cause sewage to back up into the house and contaminate drinking water wells. That's why it's important to pump your septic tank regularly, to make sure it's working efficiently all year round.

If possible, also ensure that the septic tank is located above the anticipated flood level. If not, install a watertight cover (bolted on and fitted with a neoprene gasket) to keep water out of the septic tank, and install a check valve to prevent sewer backups during a flood.

Municipal sewer systemDuring power failures, the municipality is faced with problems of overflowing sewage systems. Generators are switched on at the pumping stations to prevent backflow into homes.

For additional protection against sewer backups, we recommend installing a sewer check valve. Contact a plumber for more information.

Also, during floods, it's important that residents don't contribute to the overloading of the municipal sewage system. Don't connect your basement sump pump to the municipal system. Instead, drain the water away from the house.