REGINA — As temperatures reached an enjoyable high this weekend, Regina residents were treated to both sunny afternoons and an abrupt introduction to spring in the Queen City.
Regina received a large amount of snow this winter, compared to years previous, leaving many residents wondering what comes next as temperatures rise and snow becomes water.
Officials from the city spoke on Monday to share the plan to address the spring melt, to alleviate potential flooding as the season transitions and get to work patching newly uncovered potholes.
City director of water, wastewater and environment Kurtis Doney said the plan to avoid city-wide floods is to move as much water down storm drains as possible.
“The big concern is getting those catch basins open and ensuring water can drain as the snow melts,” said Doney.
City crews are already out clearing drains of snow and buildup, said Doney, in preparation for the next influx of melting.
“There’s still a lot of snow out there that has to melt, so it’s going to be another wet week,” said Doney. “We’ve had our crews working together [with other department crews] for the last number of weeks, preparing and moving snow.”
He said the city has been divided into four quadrants for crews to better focus their attention, addressing snow removal and storm drains.
With more warm weather on the forecast, residents are also reminded to take their own precautions to avoid wet basements.
The easiest steps include moving snow away from the foundation of one’s house and ensuring downspouts are flowing away from the home. Doney also reminded residents that now is the time to double check that your sump pump is working.
Doney asked residents to allow city crews to open the catch drains in their area, as they have equipment like steam trucks to melt away ice and properly prepare storm drains.
In addition to concerns from residents about flooding, the abrupt melt of the city’s snow is also raising concerns on roadways.
Over the weekend, many high-traffic zones in Regina were delayed by deep water, including parts of Ring Road and of the Cathedral neighborhood. The city received 65 service requests related to flooded streets, said director of roadways and transportation Chris Warren.
Warren said clearing crews are taking into account the high-traffic roadways as they work to help reduce water levels sitting on roads.
He said that while there was more snow piled up than usual, the expectations for this year’s melt are looking relatively typical to crews on the ground.
“We do expect this type of activity during our spring melt,” said Warren. “It's something we plan for, and we staff up with reserve resources to ensure we can address this every spring.”
Crews are also working on pothole patching, as the melt uncovers those traffic-stoppers the province is so famous for having.
Warren said many things factor into pothole severity, including the aging infrastructure, the freeze-thaw cycle the province is currently experiencing and the presence of standing water.
Pothole patching season typically runs from May through October, said Warren, where crews fill holes with hot-mix asphalt for a permanent patch.
Currently, with melting temperatures during the day but freezing temperatures at night, crews are out providing temporary patches with cold-mix asphalt, to help reduce potential danger to motorists.
“If a pothole is found to be potentially damaging or hazardous due to its size or impact on traffic flow, it’ll be barricaded, prioritized and filled within one week,” said Warren.
Drivers are encouraged to take caution while out on the roads right now and report severe potholes to the city for repair. Part of the challenge at this time of year is identifying potholes hiding under the cover of water, said Warren.
“Just pay attention to the roadway network as you travel through the city, and especially if you see some standing water,” said Warren. “Just slow down, because you don’t know.”
The city has already received a total of 169 service requests about potholes since January — which is double the number of requests from the same period in 2021.
Warren said crews are working as quickly as they can to address reported issues, with a priority focus on high-traffic areas. Doney said the city is currently not anticipating high-volume flooding within city limits at this time.
