Local News
Steinbach gathers data and prepares flood solutions after September storm
It has been several weeks since heavy rainfall flooded ditches, streets, and basements across Steinbach, and city officials are now turning their attention to gathering information and planning for the future. Mayor Earl Funk says the city is learning a great deal from the community response. “We are gathering information through all the residents that are registering with the financial disaster assistance,” Funk explains. “We’re learning a lot of really good things from it too, and we’re very appreciative of everyone coming forward.” He encourages residents who experienced damage to ensure their cases are reported through the city’s emergency coordinator, Adam Thiessen. Delegation planned for October One of the next steps will be a delegation to the City council meeting on October 21. Residents affected by flooding will be represented at that meeting. “Not everyone’s going to get to speak, but they will be picking someone to represent them and then they will be able to be telling their stories through that person,” Funk says. “I’m expecting them to have some document that we can take and keep for our records as well.” Funk says council values hearing directly from residents and views the delegation as an important part of the information-gathering process. Climate adaptation plan in progress The mayor points out that flooding and sewer backups have been long-standing challenges in Steinbach, but the city has also seen progress. He refers to the Giesbrecht Street area, which faced widespread flooding and sewer backup in 2002. At that time, many homeowners invested in sump pumps and backup valves, while the city made upgrades to drainage infrastructure. “That area has never flooded like that since,” Funk notes. “So I think definitely, yes, as we look at things going forward, if we all work together, we can make big changes.” He adds that the city’s climate change adaptation plan, currently underway, is essentially a risk mitigation plan. Once complete, it will identify projects designed to reduce the risks of future flooding. Working together on solutions Funk points to ongoing discussions with plumbers and contractors as another piece of the puzzle. He recalls feedback from local plumber Gil Perron, who stressed the importance of keeping sump water out of the sewer system to prevent overwhelming city pumps. “The more water we put into the sewer, the more pressure there will be,” Funk says. “And then when the pumps get overwhelmed, well, they’re overwhelmed.” For the mayor, the key to long-term solutions lies in communication and cooperation. “What’s most important is that we keep the lines of communication open with our administration, with council, with residents. If we keep talking and working together, I think this will all land in a very good spot.” Next steps Funk says momentum is building to tackle the issue. “After the last flood (in Sept. 2024) we were working on things, but I think now the appetite from council, administration, even the residents — I think there’s a greater appetite to get this working,” he says. As Steinbach continues to gather data and prepare for the October delegation, Funk stresses that the city is committed to learning from past events and applying those lessons to help protect homes and infrastructure in the future.