What is Stormwater Management?
Stormwater management strives to reduce overland flows of water from rainfall and snowmelt. It may also include runoff from activities like watering lawns, washing cars, and draining pools. The goals of stormwater management are to lessen the strain on municipal infrastructure, decrease erosion, mitigate flooding, and improve the quality of water bodies. The stormwater system WHRM owns and maintains consists of storm drains (catch basins), off-street drainage corridors, buried pipes and manholes, cross culverts, detention ponds, and roadside ditches.
Stormwater Management Plans
Stormwater Management Plans have been created for the growth centers of Falmouth, Hantsport, Three Mile Plains, and Windsor. These studies assess the performance of current drainage systems in a series of scenarios, including existing and future conditions, while acknowledging the changing climate (i.e. increased frequency and intensity of storms). Preliminary recommendations for stormwater conveyance improvements have been developed for areas of concern.
- pdf Falmouth Stormwater Management Plan(5.15 MB)
- pdf Hantsport Stormwater Management Study(3.95 MB)
- pdf Three Mile Plains Flood Risk Assessment Report(41.36 MB)
- pdf Windsor Stormwater Management Plan(101.71 MB)
Combined Sewer Overflows
Some of WHRM’s infrastructure, like many older North American municipalities, was designed as a combined sewer system where sewage and stormwater flow through the same pipes. The climate was more predictable when the combined sewer systems were designed to carry all contents (rain, melted snow, and sewage) to a wastewater treatment plant for full treatment, and most of the time, they still function effectively. Rarely, during prolonged periods of intense rainfall or power outage, the volume of stormwater entering these combined sewers exceeds the system’s capacity and can trigger diluted overflows at emergency fallout locations. It is a long-term endeavour to reduce excess stormwater by methods like diverting, adding capacity, adding storage, identifying extraneous flows, and gradually separating stormwater and sewer systems.
pdf Recreational Use of Lake Pesaquid IMPORTANT NOTICE(6.91 MB)
Homeowner Stormwater Management
Homeowners can help control stormwater runoff by utilizing best management practices (BMPs) on their property, such as rain gardens, rain barrels, french drains, bioswales, increasing permeable surfaces, and planting native vegetation.
- Managing stormwater at home (envirocentre)
- Rain Smart Neighbourhoods: Beautify your landscape while protecting water quality and reducing flood risk (PDF)
Flood Resources
If you have any questions or stormwater-related concerns, reach out to our Environmental Technologist by email at
