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 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.