Flood Mitigation

The Town of Canton is identifying and mitigating flood risks, which will intensify due to climate change. Private and public properties will be affected more frequently by flooding. 

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is actively managing the infrastructure that transports stormwater. What is stormwater?

Stormwater is rain and snowmelt that flows over hard surfaces.  

Stormwater infrastructure, like drains and catch basins, are under stress when handling the increased volume of stormwater due to more frequent, intense storms.

What the Town is Doing

The Town is developing a model to:

• Assess potential for flooding on roads, parking lots, within stormwater infrastructure, etc. 
• Prioritize improvements in neighborhoods
• Protect public health and safety

Mark the spot

Where have you seen flooding in Town? Tell us by filling out a survey! To do so, submit a service request on the Town’s 311 app or here and select “Flooding Survey” as the report type.

What You Can Do 

There are things you can do at home to help mitigate the effects of climate change and flooding.

 Install a rain barrel: Catch water from your rooftop and store it for later use. Canton has a community program with the Great American Rain Barrel Company.                                                                                                           

 Plant a rain garden: Help slow the runoff in flood-prone areas of your property by infiltrating water into the soil.                                

Clear debris: Remove leaves, sticks, trash, and other debris from stormwater grates to help stormwater flow easily down the drain.

Install pervious pavers: Place stone, concrete, or brick with enough space between each piece to allow for rain absorption and reduced runoff.

Public Workshop Educational Materials 

• Flood Mitigation Workshop 3-23-21 Presentation Slides
• Flood Mitigation Workshop 3-23-21 Flood Map Jamboard Slides
• Flood Mitigation Workshop 3-23-21 Recording (Access Passcode: hp$2rFBT)
• Flood Mitigation Workshop 05-26-21 Presentation Slides
• Flood Mitigation Workshop 05-26-21 Recording

Additional Resources

• Stormwater Master Plan
• MWRA water conservation and efficiency
• Stormwater educational resources
• Think Blue Massachusetts 
• Stormwater Management Program
• Incorporating “green infrastructure”/rain gardens at the Luce Elementary School and Devoll Field

Questions?

For questions related to flooding on public property, email: EngineeringDept@town.canton.ma.us.
For flooding issues, visit cantonma.citysourced.com/servicerequests/create, and select “Flooding Survey” as the report type.