Stormwater
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area.
Visit our lot grading page for drainage information on private properties.
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area.
Visit our lot grading page for drainage information on private properties.
There are two primary systems for drainage that work separately:
The City of Grande Prairie's engineering services department maintains the storm sewers within the city, see Storm Water Services.
Stormwater is water from precipitation (rain, snowmelt, etc..) that accumulates on the surface. As it flows, it collects and transports pollutants (soil, pet waste, salt, pesticides, fertilizer, oil and grease, leaves, litter, etc..). Stormwater is part of the water cycle.
A portion of the stormwater gets absorbed into the soil, which is called infiltration. The excess water that flows across a surface is called runoff. Impermeable surfaces (roofs, concrete, pavement, etc..) do not allow water to infiltrate into the soil and contribute to the amount of runoff.
Runoff enters into the storm system before finally flowing untreated into Bear Creek. This runoff will eventually make its way north to the Arctic Ocean.
Stormwater gets collected and transported through Grande Prairie's inter-connected storm system. It consists of:
Historically, we tried to get rid of stormwater as quickly as possible. However, water is a resource that needs to be managed in a sustainable manner. Stormwater is managed for two main reasons:
Alberta Environment and Water has many programs and services that address our water.
The best way to handle stormwater is to:
Depending on your land-use, there are a variety of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that designers, engineers and landscapers can utilize to manage stormwater on your property. The BMPs are categorized as follows:
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