Ottewell flood mitigation

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Project overview
Project schedule
Neighbourhood impacts
Staying connected
Frequently asked questions

Project overview

The Ottewell flood mitigation project will reduce the risk of flooding in Ottewell and area neighbourhoods.

Ottewell is primarily serviced with a mix of combined sanitary and storm lines. There is no stormwater management facility in the neighbourhood, and the current overland or surface drainage system is not effective. There are several areas in this neighbourhood where water can pool during intense rainfall events, which puts the Ottewell community at a higher risk of flooding.

To reduce the flood risk, EPCOR is constructing a dry pond in Ottewell Park and installing/upgrading various storm infrastructure throughout the neighbourhood.

This project is part of EPCOR’s Stormwater Integrated Resource Plan (SIRP) which aims to reduce the risk of flooding in Edmonton neighbourhoods and is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF).

A wide, well-maintained grassy area with a gentle slope, known as a dry pond, bordered by leafless trees and several buildings.

Example of a completed dry pond located in Parkallen.

Project schedule

The project will be completed in two parts:

Storm sewer construction, which began in May 2024. All sewer upgrade work is expected to be completed in 2027.
Dry pond construction, which began in July 2025 and is expected to be complete in December 2025. Landscaping will be completed in spring 2026.

The overall project is expected to be completed in 2027. EPCOR is completing this work in advance of the City of Edmonton’s Neighbourhood Renewal work.

Please note: These timelines are estimates pending permitting, contractor availability, construction conditions and weather.

Legend indicating various locations in the Ottewell community where storm upgrades have been made. Marks the LID location and the dry pond.

Neighbourhood impacts

Crews will be performing open trench construction to upgrade the sewer system throughout Ottewell. The work will be completed in phases.

Upgrades in progress

Austin O’Brien Road – began in mid-May 2025 and is expected to be complete in fall 2025.
94A Avenue (east of 62 Street) – began in late July 2025 and is expected to be complete in summer 2026.

Future upgrades

Starting in 2026: 93 Ave, 93A Ave, 94 Ave & 94A Ave (west of 62 Street)
Starting in 2027: 92A Avenue & 92B Avenue

Completed upgrades

Ottewell Road – completed in July 2025
91 Avenue & 90A Avenue – completed in September 2024

The dry pond construction began in July 2025 and is expected to be complete in December 2025. Landscaping will be completed in spring 2026 once construction is complete and will remain fenced until the landscaping establishes.

Safety and security

Safety is our first priority for our site workers and community members. All work areas will be fenced off and secured, and flagging personnel will be used where necessary.
EPCOR will work with schools to promote safe performance around construction sites.
EPCOR will also provide public notices to schools to share with parents and teachers.
Detours will be created for any sidewalk/pedestrian crossing closures.

Noise control

Work will create typical noise associated with construction. We will take steps to decrease noise and meet City noise standards.

Traffic

Some construction may affect access to front facing driveways during construction.
Heavy trucks and equipment will be moving through residential streets.
Traffic impacts, such as road closures or detours, may be needed to accommodate worksites.
Vehicles related to the construction may be parked on the road near the construction sites.
No parking signs may also be placed in certain areas.

Hours of work

Typical hours of work will be 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday – Saturday. If required, these hours may be adjusted or extended, and construction may occur on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Construction lights

Lighting structures will be placed low within the worksite to minimize light from spilling outside the worksite.

Visible construction equipment

You can expect to see activity that is typical to construction, including company/contractor vehicles and equipment.
The contractor may use a combination of excavators, loaders, skid steers, cranes, and tandem trucks, as well as other equipment.

Sports field closures

Recreational amenities found inside the work area at Ottewell Park will be closed during construction. This includes the:
- U13 baseball diamond
- U15 baseball diamond
- U11 soccer field, and
- U13 soccer field.
All existing amenities will be replaced once construction is complete. Some amenities will be reoriented or moved to another area within Ottewell Park. After construction, once the landscaping has established, the park area will be reopened to the public.

Staying connected

View our latest project notices and updates:

Dry Pond Construction Notice – July 2025

Austin O’Brien Road:

94A Avenue:

EPCOR held two public open houses at Ottewell School to provide information to community members about the project.

Frequently asked questions

Across Edmonton, EPCOR is helping communities manage stormwater.
There are several areas in the Ottewell neighbourhood at lower elevation where water pools, which puts the community at risk of flooding during severe rainfall.
Ottewell is serviced with a mix of combined sanitary and storm lines. In a combined sewer, both sanitary and stormwater flow together in the same pipe. There is no stormwater management facility in the neighbourhood, and the current overland (or surface drainage system) is not sufficient.

Dry ponds are stormwater management facilities that temporarily hold stormwater when the drainage system cannot handle the water volume of severe storms. They are dry most of the time.
Severe rainfall is challenging to predict because it can come with little warning. It can be very intense for a short period of time in a localized area causing flooding of roads, properties and sewer backup in basements.
During severe rainfall, the ponds act as storage facilities and help protect local homes and businesses. The water will then drain from the dry ponds into the downstream drainage system when there is capacity.

First the topsoil will be removed from the pond surface and hauled off site, then a survey crew will lay out the design and the pond excavation will begin.
An underground water storage system will be installed as sections of the pond are completed.
After the sub-drain collection system has been installed, the remaining landscaping work will be done, which will include topsoil, sod, recreation amenities and other fixtures.

Dry ponds are drainage facilities that are designed to stay dry the vast majority of the time and only collect water when severe rainfall events occur and the drainage system cannot handle the water volumes.
In Edmonton, dry ponds are commonly used for recreation spaces such as soccer fields and baseball diamonds, and several are located in schoolyards.
Some examples of dry ponds can be seen in the following neighbourhoods; Parkallen, Steinhauer, Erminskin, Prince Rupert and Lendrum.

No. The dry pond is connected to storm sewers, which contain surface water. The storm sewers drain to sewer outfalls.

Combined sewers carry both the domestic wastewater from homes and the stormwater drainage from streets. Separating the storm flows from the combined system means there is less flow in the sewers during rainfall and therefore a reduced risk of basement flooding and sewer backups in homes.
It also reduces downstream combined sewer overflow to the river where, during intense rainfall, raw combined sewer flows can discharge directly to the river.
This reduces the amount of rainfall in combined sewers that ends up at the Gold Bar Waste Water Treatment Plant that receives unnecessary treatment.
It can reduce odour when catch basins are disconnected from waste flows.
It improves stormwater system performance by providing new pipes and catch basins designed to modern standards.

Part of the sewer upgrades will be completed using open trench construction.
During each phase of the open-trench construction, part of the road and asphalt will be removed first. Next, the area will be excavated, and pipe will be installed. Finally, the road will be backfilled and restored.

Utility crew wearing safety gear working on an excavated trench with steel and wood shoring, with residential homes located in the background.

Example of open trench construction.