Two Low Impact Development Pilot Projects to Manage Stormwater Runoff in Brampton

The City of Brampton will pilot Low Impact Development (LID) practices on two sites in the Fletcher’s Creek subwatershed, with the goal of developing cost-effective approaches to managing stormwater runoff. Both sites are in a neighbourhood that was built before the introduction of conventional stormwater management, which has made them vulnerable to flooding after extreme rainfall events. The receiving waterway (Fletcher’s Creek) also faces serious erosion and water quality issues. The first LID pilot will be developed at Glendale Public School through a partnership between the City of Brampton and the Peel District School Board. The second will integrate LID into a road rehabilitation project on Haggert Avenue, which will require collaboration across City departments. Innovative aspects: • LID practices control stormwater at the source, mimicking the natural movement of water by allowing infiltration to occur at the site of rainfall. By reducing stormwater runoff volume and improving water quality, this LID pilot will reduce the risk of flood damage to the municipality while also helping to rehabilitate Fletchers Creek • The partnership between the City of Brampton and the Peel District School Board as well as the integration of LID into a municipal roadway means that new stormwater management measures can be developed without the need for new infrastructure or for the City to acquire land Replicability: • Implemented in partnership with the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVC), this pilot aims to develop approaches that build Brampton’s capacity to include LID throughout the city. CVC will create a guiding document outlining processes for implementing LID practices in other areas facing similar challenges Environmental benefits: The pilot aims to treat runoff from the ninetieth percentile (27 mm) storm, with the following anticipated outcomes: • Improved stormwater quality, through thermal mitigation and the removal of 80% of total suspended solids (TSS) by filtering stormwater at the source • Reduced stormwater quantity and related erosion concerns (e.g., channel instability) through lessening the amount of runoff entering the receiving waterway • Aquifer recharge and source-water quality protection • Improved aquatic habitat—Fletcher’s Creek supports sensitive species, including redside dace and migratory rainbow trout Economic benefits: • Extending the life of municipal infrastructure, resulting in reduced maintenance and installation costs • Reduced costs to the municipality for erosion protection Social benefits: • Greater access to public spaces (some spaces, such as the rear yard at Glendale Public School, are so saturated during spring melt and after summer storms that they are unusable for prolonged periods) • Less flood-related damage (Project description from original funding application)