City officials in Windsor say they have a plan to prevent storm sewer backups as a housing boom along Howard Avenue pushes the existing system to near capacity. City engineer David Simpson assured councillors that an undersized section of storm sewer will be replaced with a larger pipe, a project costing over $1.7 million, to be completed before hundreds of proposed new housing units open.
Storm Sewer at 90% Capacity
At a recent council meeting, councillors heard that several residential developments planned for a stretch of Howard Avenue will bring the existing storm sewer to near full capacity. Simpson stated, “There is ample capacity in that sewer until which time these and other developments along Howard start to come online. Even if you were to add them all up tomorrow, you’d still only be approaching about 90 per cent of the capacity of that pipe.”
The city’s engineering department is “very aware” of a 400-metre sanitary sewer “bottleneck” on Howard, Simpson said. The city has plans to address the issue with design work this year and construction to follow. If city council approves funding as part of the 2027 capital budget, “we’d be well ahead of any potential long-term bottleneck, given that the lion’s share of these developments won’t be coming on for two, three, or four years.”
Development Projects in the Pipeline
On June 29, city council approved an official plan amendment and rezoning for a project with 178 units at 3771, 3783, and 3793 Howard Avenue, north of Cabana Road. Astoria Inc. plans to build four townhomes with 16 units and two apartment buildings with 162 units. Separately, J Rauti Developments Inc. and an Ontario numbered company plan a 90-unit residential building at 3694 and 3738 Howard Avenue, which also received council support. Other higher-density housing projects in the area are in the pipeline.
Infrastructure Concerns Raised
Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie supported both plans but highlighted the need for major investment in municipal infrastructure. He noted that “fundamental issues” around Howard Avenue remain unaddressed despite “massive development pressure.” McKenzie said, “If someone thinks there’s a more intense two-kilometre stretch in the city of Windsor, show it to me. No one’s been able to point to another area where we’ve seen more development pressure, and a road in as deplorable a condition as that stretch on Howard is. That has to get fixed … with urgency.”
Cost and Timeline
Design work for the sewer project would cost around $650,000, and construction would cost roughly $1.7 million, Simpson said. He expects construction could be completed next year. The city aims to have the new pipe in place well before the bulk of new developments are occupied, preventing any potential long-term bottleneck.
