Basement flooding

Help guard against basement flooding. Here are tips on steps you can take to protect your home and minimize flood damage.

A homeowner inspects a sump pump in a basement to ensure it is working properly.

Protect your basement from flooding

Basement flooding can happen anytime of year, but is most common during spring melt and summer rainstorms. In Edmonton, quickly changing weather can bring heavy rainfall that increases the risk of flooding and significant damage to your home. Follow these small steps to help guard against basement flooding, protect your property and minimize damage.

Regularly maintain your home

Year-round maintenance tips: help keep water away from your home

Stopping water from entering your home is the first step in protecting your basement from flooding. Our flood prevention homeowner maintenance section will teach you how to maintain your home to ensure water drains away from your home’s foundation and protects it from flooding. Our home maintenance tips include how to:

Clean and repair your eavestroughs.
Maintain your window wells and check if they’ve been properly installed.
Clean and check sump pumps and weeping tiles.
Use rain barrels to reduce the amount of water flowing on your property.
Clean debris from backwater valves to prevent sewage from flowing back into your basement.
Prevent water from pooling by ensuring your property slopes correctly away from your home.

A homeowner clears debris from a window well to improve drainage and help prevent water buildup.

Book a free flood prevention home inspection

Don’t wait for the next storm—schedule a free inspection to identify drainage issues, get expert recommendations, and see if you qualify for a backwater valve subsidy. Learn more about EPCOR's Flood Prevention Program.

Safeguard your belongings

Year-round precautions: protect your belongings from flood damage

While it’s important to do everything you can to prevent water from entering your home, basement flooding can still happen. And for many, the basement is a common storage area where we keep our treasured items, like photo albums and important documents. Here are a few preventative measures you can take to safeguard your belongings from water damage.

Move your valuables out of the basement.
Store your important belongings in plastic bins.
Ensure you have appropriate insurance coverage.

A person organizes plastic storage bins on garage shelving in an effort to help protect belongings from water damage if flooding occurs.

Protect your basement during a rainstorm

During a rainstorm: how to help protect your basement from flooding

If a storm is on its way or has begun, there are a few simple things you can do to help protect your basement from flooding during heavy rain.

Make sure your downspout extensions are down to direct water away from your home.
Ensure your sump pump and / or back up sump pump is working.
Avoid using water during a storm. Activities like showering or washing clothes can cause a backup in your basement if the neighbourhood sewer system is at or near capacity.

A person checking the downspout is connected correctly on their home before a storm.

What to do if your basement floods

If your basement floods, here are some tips on what you should do to help minimize the damage and actions you can take to be back to normal as soon as possible.

If you have a sewer backup in your home, proceed with caution. Call 780-412-4500 to report flooding in your basement.
Call your insurance company as soon as possible. They will advise you on clean-up and claims procedures.
You are responsible for cleaning up and repairing your damaged property. Your insurance company will expect you to do what you can to minimize further damage.
Keep receipts for emergency repairs or cleanups.
Make a list of damaged items.
Take photos of damaged areas and items before you repair or discard them.
When it is safe to do so, retrieve your belongings as soon as possible to prevent rotting, mildew and warping.
Thoroughly clean and disinfect all rooms and contents reached by flood waters.
Dry out the flooded area as soon as possible to avoid mould. Increase air flow by opening doors and windows and use air blowers. This process may take several days.