Flood Mitigation

The Town of Canton identifies and mitigates 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. Rain Cloud GrateWhat 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 developed a model to:

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

WORKING FOR YOU

The Canton DPW is already managing the following public infrastructure to help mitigate flooding and protect public health:

Storm Drain Grate    2,300 catch basins

Drain Pipe 90 miles of storm drain

Dam   5 dams


What You Can Do 

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

Rain Barrel Install a rain barrel: Catch water from your rooftop and store it for later use.                                                                                                      

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

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

Pervious PaversInstall 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 

Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Plan

Additional Resources

Questions?

For questions related to flooding on public property, email: EngineeringDept@town.canton.ma.us.