Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program

WSA may require construction of the most cost-effective works to address the imminent flood risk.

Assistance within communities must be co-ordinated through the municipal government.

Emergency permanent flood protection measures will be designed to have an immediate flood protection benefit, but also provide long-term flood protection. Emergency permanent flood protection measures covered by the program include:

• • Construction of permanent dykes/berms,*
  • Installation of culverts and gates,*
  • Construction of permanent diversion works or channel improvements,*
  • Relocation of principle residence if that is the least cost option (capped at $50,000).

*A drainage approval, licence to construct and operate works and/or an Aquatic Habitat Protection Permit may be required. 

Emergency temporary flood protection measures covered by the program include:

• • Pumping to prevent damage from overland flooding, if there is no alternative permanent solution*

*A drainage approval and/or an Aquatic Habitat Protection Permit may be required.

Eligible costs:

• Erosion control materials for permanent flood protection measures such as permanent dykes/berms and ditches
• Road haul levies as part of materials costs (typically included in costs charged by contractors)
• Culvert and culvert gate purchases
• Contracted labour or overtime labour for employees of the client or employees hired specifically to implement flood protection measures
• Equipment rental (e.g., pumps and machinery)
• Costs of extraction and reclamation when materials are sourced from client’s own land
• Clients’ use of their own pumping equipment or machinery (at standard industry rates less the labour)
• Provincial Sales Tax for all clients (when paid on invoices)
• Goods and Services Tax (only for individual clients when paid on invoices)

This program does not provide funding for:

• Flood protection for cropland, pastureland, orchards, golf courses or gardens, ground water seepage into buildings, slope failure and shoreline erosion;
• Flood protection measures that qualify for assistance under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) administered by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency; and
• Temporary flood damage reduction or prevention measures, including sandbagging.*

*Except costs incurred for pumping if there are no alternative permanent solutions.

Ineligible costs:

• Sandbagging efforts
• Temporary ditching or dyking
• Channel clearing
• Snow removal and culvert steaming
• Shoreline erosion mitigation or protection
• Slope failure mitigation or protection
• Protection of wastewater lagoons or septic systems, boathouses and docks, and corrals and feedlots
• Landscaping
• Use of reusable temporary flood mitigation measures (water tubes, refillable water barriers, etc.)
• Protection of grain bins or bags (unless located within a yard site and are included with the flood protection measures for the yard site buildings)
• Protection, maintenance or development of public roads or private farm access roads (unless the road acts as a dyke/berm to protect buildings from flooding)
• Pumping from within a structure (e.g., flooded basement) or regular basement sump pump operation
• Purchase of a pump or associated pumping equipment
• Purchase of materials sourced from the client’s own land (clay, sand, rock, etc.)
• Repairs to buildings
• Breaching or repair of washed out roads
• Non-overtime labour for employees
• Labour to protect the client’s own property (including family members who reside at the same residence)
• Voluntary labour
• Food, refreshments or equipment purchases (e.g., tools, gloves, etc.)
• Rental of hand tools or power tools owned or purchased by the client
• Interest charges
• Fees for permits from government agencies
• Goods and Services Tax (if it is refundable to the client)

Inquiries for engineering and technical assistance, applications for financial assistance under the program, and testing and analysis services for private groundwater supplies should be directed to the Water Security Agency from April 1–July 31 by calling 1.866.727.5420.

Where there is sufficient time, WSA will undertake a technical investigation and provide a report recommending options to mitigate flooding for the client.

Upon WSA approval of the flood protection measures, the client (community, rural municipality, business, non-profit organization or individual) is required to sign an agreement with the agency outlining the flood protection measures to be implemented, the cost-sharing rates and other terms satisfactory to the Water Security Agency.

Once an agreement is signed, the client will undertake the work or hire a contractor. Upon completion of the work, original paid receipts must be submitted to WSA for payment in accordance with the cost-sharing provisions. The Water Security Agency will not be responsible for interest charges on client paid or unpaid invoices.

Final payment to the client is subject to final inspection and receipt of required documentation (e.g., equipment logs, timesheets, invoices and paid receipts).

Where there is insufficient time prior to flooding, an agreement may be established after the work is commenced. This only applies to emergent situations and the client is required to contact WSA as soon as possible during or after the flood event. Grant payments that are considered will be based on the minimum work that would have been needed to deal with the flood threat.

As a condition for assistance, the client shall hold the Water Security Agency and its agents and consultants contracted to the Water Security Agency, harmless from all damages or claims that may result from works and groundwater testing undertaken pursuant to this program.

Financial Assistance

Cost-shared financial assistance will be provided by the Water Security Agency in accordance with the following categories:

1. Individuals, small businesses, non-profit organizations, rural municipalities and communities (other than city status)
   – 100 per cent of costs for engineering or technical advice
   – 50 per cent of costs for construction of emergency permanent flood protection measures
   – 50 per cent of costs for emergency pumping
2. Cities and large businesses
   – 50 per cent of costs for engineering or technical advice
   – 25 per cent of costs for construction of emergency permanent flood protection measures
   – 25 per cent of costs for emergency pumping
3. Private wells
   – 100 per cent of the costs to test (sampling and analysis) private wells impacted by flooding, provided water is used for human consumptive purposes.

Service may include on-site sampling by technical staff, laboratory analysis of the sample and communicating the results of the laboratory analysis. As almost all wells require shock chlorination after flooding, well testing will only be provided after the shock chlorination has been conducted. Lab analysis is limited to nitrates, total coliform and E-coli, which are the typical contaminants associated with flooded wells. This service is available to residents using private water supplies and water cisterns. However, this service does not guarantee the safety of the water supply and the well owner maintains responsibility for the use of the supply.

Applicants are limited to a maximum grant amount of $50,000 for all eligible activities.

Engineering and Technical Support

Engineering and other technical support to evaluate the potential flood risk to buildings and to identify options to mitigate the risk will be funded when flooding is imminent. Services are expected to include client discussions, site visits, hydrological and other technical evaluations and the development of mitigation recommendations.

Bags for sandbagging are available to municipalities from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency. Individuals should obtain the bags from their local municipal government.

Flood protection measures must adhere to all federal and provincial regulatory requirements.