A concerned Orillia resident has taken it upon himself to map the extent of wastewater flooding across the city, and early responses suggest the issue reaches far beyond one isolated neighbourhood.
Derick Lehmann, whose parents live on Dale Drive, created a public survey in early April after their basement was twice flooded with sewage — first during a heavy mid-March rainfall, then again after the late-March ice storm. They weren’t alone. One neighbourhood on Dancy Drive was particularly hard hit.
“We had talked to some of our neighbours who had sewage coming up in their basements as well,” Lehmann said. “We wanted to try to gauge how widespread it was in Orillia.”
Roughly 20 residents have responded so far, reporting incidents from areas including Maple Street, Bay Street, Dale Drive and Couchiching Point. Stories are consistent — sewage backing up through toilets, sinks, bathtubs and floor drains, often flooding basements with contaminated water.
Lehmann said many people have been forced to cut four to six feet of drywall from their basement walls.
“It’s not just a failed sump pump, which is frustrating enough,” he said. “This is wastewater coming up from drains that are only supposed to carry water out of your house. That’s a whole different level of damage.”
Lehmann said the survey aims to give residents a voice and provide the city with localized data in hopes of spurring a more coordinated response.
“The city relies on consultants way too often and ends up confirming things residents already knew,” he said. “Why not give them real data showing where the problems are actually happening?"
He plans to share the results with city staff once the survey has collected a sufficient amount of data.
While city crews were dispatched to some areas, including Dale Drive, residents say the efforts didn’t go far enough. Lehmann described vacuum trucks arriving to remove water, only for it to return just hours later.
“The water never fully receded,” he said. “The drains never started draining again.”
Lehmann also expressed frustration with the city’s after-hours emergency line, alleging it took multiple calls to reach someone. He claims that after repeatedly trying to get through, a city worker falsely accused him of misusing 911, prompting a call from the OPP.
Adding to the problem, Lehmann said, is the city’s aging infrastructure and reports of generator failures at pumping stations.
“We know at least one generator near the Best Western on Couchiching Point didn’t work,” he said. “What we’ve heard is that about half of the city’s generators failed. So they’re telling residents to prepare for power outages — but didn’t prepare themselves.”
He also raised concerns about residents illegally discharging sump pumps into the sanitary sewer system, which may further overwhelm the network. Combined with the city’s rapid growth in areas like West Ridge, Lehmann believes the storm exposed major vulnerabilities in the city’s planning and wastewater systems.
“The city keeps calling this a significant weather event, and it was,” he said. “But melting snow and spring rain shouldn’t be enough to flood homes with sewage. We’ve had worse summer storms than this.”
He’s calling on the city to invest in updated engineering assessments, inspect for root intrusions or blockages, and improve emergency response preparedness.
“No one from the city has contacted me about the survey,” Lehmann added. “But I hope they take it seriously. This wasn’t just one neighbourhood, this is happening all over town.”
Lehmann is encouraging anyone who experienced flooding, especially sewage-related flooding, to fill out the survey online.
“It’s not just about complaining,” he said. “It’s about helping the city pinpoint where these problems are so they can fix them.”
In response to questions about the situation, Roger Young, the city's general manager of environment and infrastructure services, confirmed the city is aware of the widespread impact and is taking steps to assess and address the situation.
“The city acknowledges the sewer backups that occurred during this unprecedented weather event and the significant impact this has had on affected residents,” Young stated.
“City crews responded as incidents were reported and implemented emergency protocols, including vacuum truck deployment and hauling sewage to alternate facilities," said Young. "Communications were also issued asking residents to reduce water usage in order to relieve pressure on the wastewater system. Despite these efforts, some areas still experienced wastewater backups, odours, or slower drainage.”
He added the city’s wastewater treatment centre functioned within capacity during normal spring runoff, but the ice storm, rapid melt, and torrential rain pushed the system beyond its limits.
“The city’s wastewater treatment centre operated within its rated capacity during typical spring runoff conditions. However, the torrential rain on April 2 resulted in extreme volumes of inflow, which overwhelmed parts of the wastewater collection system," Young explained.
"While the infrastructure is designed for seasonal surges, the combination of the power outage, ice storm, rapid melt, and intense rainfall exceeded expected volumes.”
On the issue of infrastructure failure, Young acknowledged temporary issues, but said repairs were quickly made.
“During the extreme weather event, the city experienced some temporary equipment issues. Repairs were made quickly by staff, and service continuity was maintained.”
Addressing communication concerns, Young confirmed the city faced an “exceptionally high volume of calls” and is conducting a review of emergency call management.
“The city experienced an exceptionally high volume of calls through both the ice storm and as related to the torrential rains on the evening of April 2. The city is working through a thorough debrief process related to the ice storm and will review the management of calls through this process," Young told OrilliaMatters.
While the city has not yet reviewed Lehmann’s survey, Young said officials are open to resident-submitted data.
“The city has not yet formally reviewed the survey, but is open to considering all relevant data submitted by residents.”
He also confirmed the city is collecting its own data to better understand the scope of the flooding and is continuing with regular inspections as outlined in the Wastewater Master Plan.
“The city continues to assess data related to the storm impacts. Understanding the full scope of impacts is an important part of future resiliency planning,” he said. “The city conducts regular inspections and maintenance of its wastewater system in alignment with the Wastewater Master Plan and the city’s 10-Year capital plan.”
Regarding improper sump pump connections, Chapter 1047 of the City’s Municipal Code prohibits sump pumps from being connected to a sanitary system, he noted.
“Residents are required to disconnect sump pumps from the sanitary sewer system when such connections are identified,” Young said. “While city staff provide education on the bylaw as a first step to residents, any person found guilty of this offence could be subject to a fine of not more than $10,000 for a first offence, and $25,000 for any subsequent conviction.”
Young said the city follows infrastructure plans when approving new developments, particularly in fast-growing areas.
“The city ensures that all new development is supported by appropriate stormwater and wastewater servicing through adherence to its Stormwater and Wastewater Master Plans. These plans guide infrastructure design and capacity planning during the development approval process," said Young.
As for next steps, the city is communicating with residents and continuing to assess damage in conjunction with insurance providers.
“The city has published communications through the city website, news releases and social media channels,” he said. “While this event occurred during a declared state of emergency and significant weather event, the city continues to work with its insurance provider to review and assess the circumstances and actions taken. Residents are encouraged to contact their own insurance providers regarding any property damage. Claims may also be submitted to the city and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.”
