The Runner
An increase in climate change-related flood risk has resulted in a $13 million investment to reinforce protections for the City of Richmond as part of its Flood Protection Management Strategy.
The island city will be reconstructing the No. 3 Road South Drainage Pump Station, quadrupling its pumping capacity, and raising a section of the dike to connect it to existing dike systems among other improvements.
Once complete, the infrastructure is expected to protect over 29,000 residents, about 50 businesses, and eight square kilometers of agricultural land, according to a B.C. government news release.
“We’re at the mouth of the river where the river meets the ocean, so we’re built on a floodplain,” says City of Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.
“The average height of the land is about a meter above sea level. So we’re very vulnerable to flooding. Because we’re vulnerable to it, we pay a lot of attention to that.”
The federal government is providing $13 million in funding, the B.C. provincial government is contributing about $8 million, and the City of Richmond will spend about $3 million for the project. …