Responsibility for floods

It takes everyone to manage, prepare, stay safe in, respond to and recover from floods. No single government entity or individual can do it alone. Instead, it takes a societal commitment to create a flood resilient Halifax.

Examples of different roles and responsibilities for flooding include:

• the provincial government is responsible for managing tidal dykes on the Bay of Fundy;
• in 1999, the municipal government issued policy statements called “Statements of Provincial Interest”. These included information on flood risk areas that municipalities were required to plan for. The goal of the flood risk guidelines were to protect public safety and property and reduce the requirement for flood control works and flood damage restoration in floodplains. Two areas in Halifax County were identified: the Little Sackville River, and Sackville River;
• the provincial government coordinates and supports local governments to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from flood emergencies;
• the Halifax Regional Municipality has invested in flood mapping shown on this website and has shared this information with other levels of government;
• Halifax Water manages stormwater infrastructure like ditches, catch basins and underground pipes;
• property owners are responsible for acquiring insurance to cover flood damages and for implementing preventative measures, like installing flood shields in windows, or backflow prevention devices;
• property owners are responsible for the maintenance and operation of water, wastewater and stormwater systems on your property. This includes preventing pollutants or contamination from entering the environment. For more information, contact Halifax Water; and
• property developers are responsible for ensuring that they do not increase the risk of flooding on the site or in surrounding areas. 

Learn more about the Province of Nova Scotia's role in flooding.