The City regularly conducts:
- Routine inspections of stormwater facilities
- Annual cleaning and repairs of stormwater ponds
- Ongoing maintenance of aging infrastructure to reduce flooding and erosion
Stormwater Management
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The City of Belleville is responsible for collecting and managing stormwater from municipal roads and public rights-of-way to reduce flooding and protect local waterways.
What is Stormwater?
Stormwater is rain and melting snow that runs off hard surfaces such as roads, sidewalks, and parking lots and enters the storm sewer system. Stormwater is not treated before being released into local waterways.
How Stormwater is Managed
Storm Sewers and Catch Basins
Catch basins are grates along roadways that collect stormwater and carry it through underground pipes to lakes and rivers.
- Catch basins capture debris such as sand and gravel
- They do not remove oils, fuels, or liquid pollutants
- Dumping anything into a catch basin can result in direct pollution of waterways
Illegal dumping or spills should be reported to Ontario’s Spills Action Centre at 613-866-663-8477 (24/7).
Stormwater Management Facilities
In some areas, stormwater is directed to management facilities before discharge, including:
- Dry ponds that allow water to soak into the ground
- Wet ponds that slow water and allow sediment to settle
- Oil and grit separators that capture oils, grease, and sediment
Facilities are inspected annually and cleaned as required.
Protecting Local Waterways
The City reduces stormwater pollution through infrastructure maintenance, monitoring and targeted improvements.
Infrastructure Maintenance and Inspections
Street Sweeping and Catch Basin Cleaning
Regular street sweeping and catch basin cleaning help prevent debris and pollutants from entering storm sewers and local waterways.
Permeable pavement allows rain and snowmelt to soak into the ground, reducing runoff and filtering pollutants. A pilot permeable parking area was installed at Stanley Park in 2021.
The City has installed Enviropod LittaTraps™ in select catch basins to capture litter before it enters waterways.
- Traps are inspected and emptied regularly
- Over 13.5 kg of litter was diverted from the Moira River during the pilot project
- The program has expanded to high-traffic drainage areas
Regional and Provincial Partnerships
The City works with the following organizations on an ongoing basis:
- Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
- Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan
- Quinte Conservation
These partnerships support pollution reduction, sediment removal and system upgrades.
What Residents Can Do
You can help stop potential pollution by:
- Never pouring anything into a catch basin
- Disposing of pet waste in the garbage
- Using car washes connected to the sanitary sewer
- Fixing vehicle fluid leaks
- Minimizing fertilizer and pesticide use
- Reporting spills or illegal dumping to 613-866-663-8477
Reduce Runoff on Your Property
You can help restore natural drainage by:
- Installing rain barrels
- Creating rain gardens
- Reducing hard surfaces where possible
Stormwater Performance Reporting
The City manages stormwater under an Environmental Compliance Approval issued by the Province.
- 2023 Stormwater Performance Report
- 2024 Stormwater Performance Report
- 2025 Stormwater Performance Report
Printed copies are available at the City of Belleville Operations Centre, 31 Wallbridge Cres.
Contact Us
Transportation & Operations
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