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Stormwater Management Master Plan

Consultation has concluded

We want to hear from you

How we manage stormwater affects you. It also affects our drinking water supply and our environment. Your feedback is an important part of updating the master plan. The City will look for your feedback throughout the master plan update, both in-person and online.

Here On Have Your Say - The Stormwater Management Master Plan was approved by Council on April 27th. Our next milestone is to complete the EA Process through a Notice of Study Completion.

The Q&A tool remains open if you would like to ask the project team a question. Your feedback will be incorporated into the overall project documentation.

You can also tell us about flooding, erosion or other issues you have noticed by using the online mapping activity found in the Places tab below. Hearing your experiences with stormwater management will help us develop recommendations for a preferred stormwater management strategy.

To get project updates, you can join our mailing list by contacting the project leads listed on the right hand side of the page.

Learn more about stormwater and what it means to you

Check out our Stormwater Management Master Plan Multimedia Page to learn about Guelph's stormwater management system, the study we are doing to update the plan, and how our current system works!

The process

We’re updating the City's 2012 Stormwater Management Master Plan to ensure we manage stormwater (rain and snowmelt) to help protect Guelph’s water supply and environment sustainably.

The master plan is a long-term plan that looks at how the City is currently managing stormwater and guides how we will continue to do so over the next 25 years. It will take into account government legislation, technological advances, and infrastructure needs. It will address issues we face today like flood control, maintaining the quality of our local waterways (rivers, lakes, and streams), and drinking water supply (groundwater) while protecting the environment and maintaining the local water balance.

This study is being carried out according to the Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (2011, as amended), which is an approved Class of Environmental Assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act. An environmental assessment will document the results from this study and will be made available for public review. At that time, residents, Indigenous communities, and other interested persons or groups will be informed of when and where the environmental assessment can be reviewed.

We want to hear from you

How we manage stormwater affects you. It also affects our drinking water supply and our environment. Your feedback is an important part of updating the master plan. The City will look for your feedback throughout the master plan update, both in-person and online.

Here On Have Your Say - The Stormwater Management Master Plan was approved by Council on April 27th. Our next milestone is to complete the EA Process through a Notice of Study Completion.

The Q&A tool remains open if you would like to ask the project team a question. Your feedback will be incorporated into the overall project documentation.

You can also tell us about flooding, erosion or other issues you have noticed by using the online mapping activity found in the Places tab below. Hearing your experiences with stormwater management will help us develop recommendations for a preferred stormwater management strategy.

To get project updates, you can join our mailing list by contacting the project leads listed on the right hand side of the page.

Learn more about stormwater and what it means to you

Check out our Stormwater Management Master Plan Multimedia Page to learn about Guelph's stormwater management system, the study we are doing to update the plan, and how our current system works!

The process

We’re updating the City's 2012 Stormwater Management Master Plan to ensure we manage stormwater (rain and snowmelt) to help protect Guelph’s water supply and environment sustainably.

The master plan is a long-term plan that looks at how the City is currently managing stormwater and guides how we will continue to do so over the next 25 years. It will take into account government legislation, technological advances, and infrastructure needs. It will address issues we face today like flood control, maintaining the quality of our local waterways (rivers, lakes, and streams), and drinking water supply (groundwater) while protecting the environment and maintaining the local water balance.

This study is being carried out according to the Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (2011, as amended), which is an approved Class of Environmental Assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act. An environmental assessment will document the results from this study and will be made available for public review. At that time, residents, Indigenous communities, and other interested persons or groups will be informed of when and where the environmental assessment can be reviewed.

Consultation has concluded

Please ask our team questions about the Stormwater Management Master Plan! We will do our best to answer your question within 5 business days.

Share What are the implications to the master planning process with new development rules coming from Bill 23? My understanding is that environmental protections are lessened to reduce costs for new housing in all areas of the City. on Facebook Share What are the implications to the master planning process with new development rules coming from Bill 23? My understanding is that environmental protections are lessened to reduce costs for new housing in all areas of the City. on Twitter Share What are the implications to the master planning process with new development rules coming from Bill 23? My understanding is that environmental protections are lessened to reduce costs for new housing in all areas of the City. on Linkedin Email What are the implications to the master planning process with new development rules coming from Bill 23? My understanding is that environmental protections are lessened to reduce costs for new housing in all areas of the City. link

What are the implications to the master planning process with new development rules coming from Bill 23? My understanding is that environmental protections are lessened to reduce costs for new housing in all areas of the City.

prk asked about 2 years ago

The City is currently reviewing the recent Provincial legislation and how it may impact all of the recently completed and ongoing master plans. At this time, it is not anticipated that the legislation would result in changes to the technical work in the Stormwater Management Master Plan, but may impact the speed at which the plan is desired to be implemented. City Council met on November 22^nd to discuss the impacts of Bill 23 and Bill 109 and the Council Agenda can be found here: https://pub-guelph.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=32291
Share Not a question, just a comment: I hope the plan really emphasizes the need for long-term protection from development for the forests, riparian zones, other wetlands and any non-paved area. I hope this plan will have power to stand against any housing development pressures that may come from private sources or from (potentially) conflicting City of Guelph Planning documents. I know we're mandated to grow, but the best protection for our water is ground and the flora above any technological point-treatments. I hope that the use of land use designation remains a powerful tool. on Facebook Share Not a question, just a comment: I hope the plan really emphasizes the need for long-term protection from development for the forests, riparian zones, other wetlands and any non-paved area. I hope this plan will have power to stand against any housing development pressures that may come from private sources or from (potentially) conflicting City of Guelph Planning documents. I know we're mandated to grow, but the best protection for our water is ground and the flora above any technological point-treatments. I hope that the use of land use designation remains a powerful tool. on Twitter Share Not a question, just a comment: I hope the plan really emphasizes the need for long-term protection from development for the forests, riparian zones, other wetlands and any non-paved area. I hope this plan will have power to stand against any housing development pressures that may come from private sources or from (potentially) conflicting City of Guelph Planning documents. I know we're mandated to grow, but the best protection for our water is ground and the flora above any technological point-treatments. I hope that the use of land use designation remains a powerful tool. on Linkedin Email Not a question, just a comment: I hope the plan really emphasizes the need for long-term protection from development for the forests, riparian zones, other wetlands and any non-paved area. I hope this plan will have power to stand against any housing development pressures that may come from private sources or from (potentially) conflicting City of Guelph Planning documents. I know we're mandated to grow, but the best protection for our water is ground and the flora above any technological point-treatments. I hope that the use of land use designation remains a powerful tool. link

Not a question, just a comment: I hope the plan really emphasizes the need for long-term protection from development for the forests, riparian zones, other wetlands and any non-paved area. I hope this plan will have power to stand against any housing development pressures that may come from private sources or from (potentially) conflicting City of Guelph Planning documents. I know we're mandated to grow, but the best protection for our water is ground and the flora above any technological point-treatments. I hope that the use of land use designation remains a powerful tool.

gilmaurice asked about 2 years ago

Thank you for your comment.
Share Hello I would like to know if the master plan will be doing something about the large volumes of polluted runoff and silt etc that is entering the Speed River from the storm drain at the stub end of Stone Rd. After snow melt and storms the drain outlets into a creek that empties into the speed river. If you look at the historical aerial photos on the GRCA mapping and google earth you can see the delta that has formed in the river over time. Also the river bank on the west side is suffering a significant erosion problem from the force and volume of water entering the river from this storm drain. I am surprised that the city has never been charged for releasing such large volumes of polluted water into the Speed River. I could not see in your maps if there is an oil and grit separator at the end of this drain before it enters the river. This pollution is entering the river just upstream of the Hanlon Creek. There are brook trout in this stream that use the Speed River. Please advise how the SWM master plan will deal with this problem? Also I would like to comment of the problems with awake drainage of stormwater in residential neighbourhoods. What happens in existing neighbourhood s when accessory units are allowed to pave over backyards, cut mature trees to build on the lots etc? How will the city deal with this runoff from intensification? The swale drainage in my neighbourhood does not work. on Facebook Share Hello I would like to know if the master plan will be doing something about the large volumes of polluted runoff and silt etc that is entering the Speed River from the storm drain at the stub end of Stone Rd. After snow melt and storms the drain outlets into a creek that empties into the speed river. If you look at the historical aerial photos on the GRCA mapping and google earth you can see the delta that has formed in the river over time. Also the river bank on the west side is suffering a significant erosion problem from the force and volume of water entering the river from this storm drain. I am surprised that the city has never been charged for releasing such large volumes of polluted water into the Speed River. I could not see in your maps if there is an oil and grit separator at the end of this drain before it enters the river. This pollution is entering the river just upstream of the Hanlon Creek. There are brook trout in this stream that use the Speed River. Please advise how the SWM master plan will deal with this problem? Also I would like to comment of the problems with awake drainage of stormwater in residential neighbourhoods. What happens in existing neighbourhood s when accessory units are allowed to pave over backyards, cut mature trees to build on the lots etc? How will the city deal with this runoff from intensification? The swale drainage in my neighbourhood does not work. on Twitter Share Hello I would like to know if the master plan will be doing something about the large volumes of polluted runoff and silt etc that is entering the Speed River from the storm drain at the stub end of Stone Rd. After snow melt and storms the drain outlets into a creek that empties into the speed river. If you look at the historical aerial photos on the GRCA mapping and google earth you can see the delta that has formed in the river over time. Also the river bank on the west side is suffering a significant erosion problem from the force and volume of water entering the river from this storm drain. I am surprised that the city has never been charged for releasing such large volumes of polluted water into the Speed River. I could not see in your maps if there is an oil and grit separator at the end of this drain before it enters the river. This pollution is entering the river just upstream of the Hanlon Creek. There are brook trout in this stream that use the Speed River. Please advise how the SWM master plan will deal with this problem? Also I would like to comment of the problems with awake drainage of stormwater in residential neighbourhoods. What happens in existing neighbourhood s when accessory units are allowed to pave over backyards, cut mature trees to build on the lots etc? How will the city deal with this runoff from intensification? The swale drainage in my neighbourhood does not work. on Linkedin Email Hello I would like to know if the master plan will be doing something about the large volumes of polluted runoff and silt etc that is entering the Speed River from the storm drain at the stub end of Stone Rd. After snow melt and storms the drain outlets into a creek that empties into the speed river. If you look at the historical aerial photos on the GRCA mapping and google earth you can see the delta that has formed in the river over time. Also the river bank on the west side is suffering a significant erosion problem from the force and volume of water entering the river from this storm drain. I am surprised that the city has never been charged for releasing such large volumes of polluted water into the Speed River. I could not see in your maps if there is an oil and grit separator at the end of this drain before it enters the river. This pollution is entering the river just upstream of the Hanlon Creek. There are brook trout in this stream that use the Speed River. Please advise how the SWM master plan will deal with this problem? Also I would like to comment of the problems with awake drainage of stormwater in residential neighbourhoods. What happens in existing neighbourhood s when accessory units are allowed to pave over backyards, cut mature trees to build on the lots etc? How will the city deal with this runoff from intensification? The swale drainage in my neighbourhood does not work. link

Hello I would like to know if the master plan will be doing something about the large volumes of polluted runoff and silt etc that is entering the Speed River from the storm drain at the stub end of Stone Rd. After snow melt and storms the drain outlets into a creek that empties into the speed river. If you look at the historical aerial photos on the GRCA mapping and google earth you can see the delta that has formed in the river over time. Also the river bank on the west side is suffering a significant erosion problem from the force and volume of water entering the river from this storm drain. I am surprised that the city has never been charged for releasing such large volumes of polluted water into the Speed River. I could not see in your maps if there is an oil and grit separator at the end of this drain before it enters the river. This pollution is entering the river just upstream of the Hanlon Creek. There are brook trout in this stream that use the Speed River. Please advise how the SWM master plan will deal with this problem? Also I would like to comment of the problems with awake drainage of stormwater in residential neighbourhoods. What happens in existing neighbourhood s when accessory units are allowed to pave over backyards, cut mature trees to build on the lots etc? How will the city deal with this runoff from intensification? The swale drainage in my neighbourhood does not work.

LauraJM asked about 2 years ago
Thank you for your comment about the outfall at the west end of Stone Road. This outfall drains a part of the city that was built before modern stormwater management practices were a part of new developments. The Stormwater Management Master Plan looked for opportunities to increase stormwater treatment in areas of the city like this one. The Master Plan is therefore recommending the following:
- A new subsurface stormwater facility in Oak Street Park, located at the eastern end of the catchment draining to the Stone Road outfall.
- Requiring new construction, including road reconstruction, to provide 5mm of volume control. Volume control is generally implemented through low impact development (LID). LID helps to filter and slow down stormwater, reducing peak flows and erosion, and making it cleaner before it is released into the Speed River.
Unfortunately, due to the size of the storm sewer, it is not feasible to install an Oil and Grit Separator at the outfall to the Speed River. Instead, these units would have to be installed throughout the catchment. There are already 4 OGS units in the catchment, and it is expected that more will be installed as a result of the volume control requirement, where LIDs are found not to be feasible.
Volume control will also help to address the second issue you raise regarding intensification in already-built neighbourhoods. The Master Plan is proposing that for “redevelopment, infill development, intensification, or adaptive re-use without restrictions, stormwater runoff volumes will be controlled and the post-construction runoff volume shall be retained on site for runoff that is generated from the first 5mm of rainfall from all surfaces on the entire site.” This will help to reduce the pressures on the existing stormwater infrastructure in these neighbourhoods.

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