Ontario Installs Storm Traps and Filters for Better Water Management

Ontario’s government has installed advanced stormwater management systems, including storm traps and jellyfish filters, in Burlington to better control water levels during storms and prevent flooding.

These innovative systems aim to retain solid contaminants and store the most polluted first rainwater. The storm traps, which are infiltration and detention systems, work alongside jellyfish filters designed to hold and slowly release water, capturing debris like plastic bottles. These underground tanks store initial runoff, which carries street pollutants, and regulate its flow to treatment plants, preventing overflow and untreated discharges into watercourses.

Sarens, one of the leader’s in heavy lifting and crane rental services, executed the project by lifting and installing 100 pieces over four days. Each module of the stormwater storage gallery weighed 15,000 pounds and covered 40 feet of the trench. Sarens used an AT 160 crane as the main boom for optimal productivity and minimal mobilization.

Neil Docherty, Sarens Project Manager, explained that water first passes through filters to remove solid contaminants before reaching the tanks. The water is then gradually sent to purification stations, reducing river contamination and flood risk. This project marks a significant step towards sustainability.

Despite challenging weather conditions, Sarens completed the project efficiently, providing relief to the community by mitigating future flood risks. Sarens’ experience in the Canadian construction industry includes projects like the Union Station renovation, where they lifted and installed iron girders for the flying garden, and the Lafarge cement factory refurbishment, which boosted annual cement production.