Purpose
Help the Halton Community understand measures they can take to protect themselves from climate change risks and impacts.
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The Enhanced Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy Program was launched. This program provides residents with financial assistance for home improvements that reduce flood risk, including downspout disconnection, weeping tile disconnection and sump pump installation, backwater valve installation, and sewer lateral lining and repair.
An Emergency Preparedness Public Education materials are being updated to enhance public understanding of severe weather events and clarify the key responsibilities of residents and businesses in preparing for and responding to emergencies.
The 72-hour emergency preparedness guide has been updated by Emergency Management.
A detailed analysis of the stormwater and wastewater system performance was completed to better understand the causes of the July 2024 flooding. The findings will help guide future improvements to reduce flood risk and build resilience.
As outlined in Council Report PW-21-25 in response to the July 2024 floods, a number of public education supports are in progress and being implemented: After the July 2024 storm, the Region conducted a review to identify what worked well and what could be improved in the Region’s emergency response.
Public education and outreach are being enhanced through proactive communication, quicker notification and sharing of flood warnings, and expanded homeowner engagement programs focused on flood risk mitigation.
A Regional Flood Emergency Response Plan has been developed to clarify roles and improve communication. It was tested in a joint exercise on June 19, 2025, with Conservation Halton and the Local Municipalities.
Work is underway to improve access to critical information during emergencies, streamline data integration and establish standard agreements to facilitate data sharing between the Region, Local Municipalities and Conservation Authorities. This includes enhancing the Region’s Access Halton/311 ability to respond during emergencies by enhancing scripts, standardizing data collection, and improving dashboards to better support residents during floods.
Halton Region significantly enhanced its Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy amounts in September 2025, following the July 2024 storms, covering 100% of the costs for weeping tile disconnection and sump pump installation work (up to $6,500 max) and downspout disconnection (up to $900 max), with 50% for backwater valves (up to $1,600 max) and laterals (up to max of $4,000). The Region also introduced a new subsidy, covering 100% of the costs for the disconnection of exterior storm drains (up to a max. of $6500) such as reverse driveway or outdoor patio drains. The goal is to fix improper stormwater connections overloading the system, with applications available online for these enhanced subsidies.
In December 2025, the Region issued approximately $390,000 in retroactive payments for those eligible subsidy applications submitted on or after July 2024.