Members of the public filled council chambers Tuesday evening as Steinbach City Council received a detailed report on last week’s severe rainstorm, which caused widespread flooding across the city. City Manager Troy Warkentin presented the report Tuesday evening, noting that about 126 millimetres of rain fell over a four-hour period during the overnight storm on September 11 and 12. Some areas reported up to 135 millimetres, which he said equals roughly two months of typical rainfall for Steinbach. Warkentin said the intensity of the storm was comparable to some of the heaviest single-day totals on record for the community, referencing a 2024 Environment Canada report that ranked last year’s September 17 rainfall among the highest in six decades. “This event appears to be of at least a similar intensity,” he told council. Systems pushed beyond capacity City staff observed drains, ditches, and lift stations running at full capacity or overflowing during the storm. At times, roads had water more than two feet deep. Steinbach’s main wastewater lift station on Park Road West reached 465 litres per second — surpassing its rated capacity — and ran continuously for about 20 hours before returning to normal. Warkentin emphasized that all city drainage and wastewater infrastructure remained operational, but the sheer volume of water exceeded the design limits of the system. “The rainfall intensity and volume exceeded a one in 100-year storm event,” he said. “Even when infrastructure is operating at full capacity, overland flow can occur during storms of this magnitude.” The city has received reports from several dozen property owners who experienced basement flooding. Warkentin said the causes vary and may include overland water entry, sump pump failures, or wastewater backup issues. The TG Smith Arena also flooded, damaging the ice surface, which is expected to be restored by September 24. Work already underway Warkentin noted that the city has been steadily upgrading its wastewater system, guided by modelling studies done between 2021 and 2023. Completed projects include upgrades to the Loewen Boulevard lift station, Loewen Boulevard sewer mains, and the PTH 12 North sewer main. Planned projects include 2026 upgrades to the Millwork Drive sewer main, Park Road West sewer force main, and Park Road West lift station. The city has also contacted Manitoba’s Emergency Measures Organization regarding disaster financial assistance for affected property owners, and has posted information on the city website and social media. Looking to the future Mayor Earl Funk said the most hopeful part of the report is a climate adaptation and mitigation planning project that council funded in the 2025 budget. The project is now underway and expected to be completed by spring 2026. “That will give us a roadmap of projects that can be done to alleviate some of our drainage,” said Funk. “This is something rolled out by the federal government, and a lot of these projects often also come with funding that can help us get this done.” Once complete, the plan will be presented publicly and used to prioritize projects that will provide the greatest benefit, Funk added. “Council will be committed to working on that and acquiring funding to make this happen, to get this done.”