Waimakariri District residents are being urged to check how at risk their touch of paradise is from flooding so they can help the Council make decisions on Stormwater Management options.

Flooding is a major problem in the District and a major project was launched in August of last year to look at how to upgrade the stormwater systems.

Upgrading the District¹s stormwater systems to bring them up to standard is a multi-million dollar project.

There are a series of options for the community to consider. An Issues and Options document was prepared and this has now been put on the Council¹s website for easy access. (www.waimakariri.govt.nz). A hard copy is available from the Council offices.

"This report shows ponding locations ­ these are low spots in the road network. Council investigations have found at least two locations in Kaiapoi that the community probably wasn¹t aware of as being at risk," says Trevor Minchington, Waimakariri District Council¹s Drainage Assets Manager.

"These are Bowler Street between Hilton Street and Raven Quay and Fuller Street around the Akaroa Street intersection. The consequences will be high when it floods but this flooding isn¹t likely to happen very often. This compares to areas such as Kiln Place where it floods more often but with fewer consequences. The Stormwater Management Project is about determining priorities. Does Bowler Street come before such as Kiln Place? That¹s the question for the community and the Council."

The Council is also concerned about the damage that stormwater does to our streams and waterways. Stormwater washes all the oils, dirt, pesticides and rubbish from the streets and deposits them straight into the streams. It can be more concentrated than sewage effluent, and because the volume can be enormous the impacts can be very high.

"How does the Community want the Council to balance works on flood protection with those that protect our streams" asks Andrew Robinson, the Councils Technical Services Engineer, and member of the Stormwater Team.

Focus groups have been established by the Council to provide feedback about the various options under consideration. A series of public meetings are also being held and the members of the Project Team ­ Trevor Minchington, Rob Kerr and Andrew Robinson ­ are available to answer questions and to receive feedback and ideas from residents.

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