News

When faced with flooding in a residential area, the Ontario Township turned to Proco Products, Inc. for a solution.

In the township of Minden Hills in Ontario, the Gull River offers a favorite spot for locals to relax and enjoy nature year-round. With a river-walk that moves through natural wetlands, the township has for many years been a popular destination for tourists, especially during the summer months. The bustling community of about 6,000 people has a thriving tourism industry made up of retail shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and more independent businesses. During the spring, flooding often causes the river to increase around one to two meters, posing a potential risk to the township. 

When faced with flooding in a small residential area in 2018, Minden Hills turned to Proco Products, Inc. for a solution. Having just rehabilitated Peck Street in 2017, the township’s council and staff wanted to find a solution that would protect the new storm sewer system from high water events and provide protection to residents in the area.

Solution

Prior to selecting Proco Products, the township had investigated several other types of valves ranging from other duckbill styles to manual gates for the storm sewer system. Ultimately, Proco’s ProFlex™ Style 790 Low Headloss In-Line rubber check valve was the township’s choice. The rubber check valve is ideal for controlling back pressures from combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflow and outfalls. Allowing for passive flow, the valve can be installed without any modifications to existing structures or the need for expensive pre-install planning.

For the township of Minden Hills, the company’s check valve was a cost-effective way of reducing flooding at the intersection of Peck and Anson Streets, according to Travis Wilson, road superintendent for the township. Wilson said the check valve proved to mitigate the majority of water at the intersection and was easy to install.

“The valve was very simple to install,” he said. “Upon its arrival, I remember staring at this large rubber tube, thinking, ‘Is this ever going to be a pain to install?’…My staff and myself were surprised at how easy it was.”

Cal Hayes, General Manager, WaterWorks Division for Proco Products, went to Minden Hills to supervise the installation of the check valve in the fall of 2018. Ultimately, one excavator and two staff had the check valve in place and secured within one and a half hours. Wilson said the valve has been meeting expectations since installation and has helped to mitigate crisis. “It has really proven its cost in the past few weeks while we were in a state of emergency,” Wilson said.