City of Ottawa garbage collection staff will begin a second sweep of neighbourhoods on Monday to pick up debris from the Canada Day storm, as the cleanup continues after the record-breaking rainfall that flooded basements and roads in the west end. Nearly 4,500 homes were affected by flooding after 118 millimetres of rain fell on July 1. Residents have complained about rotting garbage, spoiled food and sewage-contaminated debris sitting on the curb waiting for garbage pickup. CTV News Ottawa reporters spotted large piles of garbage and debris on curbs in the Crystal Beach area on Wednesday. The city says more than 1,000 tonnes of storm waste have been collected and delivered to the Trail Road Waste Facility as part of the cleanup operations, as of 3 p.m. Thursday. In a statement Wednesday evening, the city said the first sweep of storm debris collection “in the most impacted areas” is now complete. “A second sweep is scheduled to begin early next week in all impacted wards to collect additional storm-related debris placed at the curb,” the city said. “Residents are encouraged to leave discarded items at the curb. Storm debris can be contaminated and may contain broken glass, sharp objects, mould or other hazardous materials.” The most impacted areas are in Bay ward, College ward and Knoxdale-Merivale. City staff have responded to more than 570 calls for downed or damaged trees since the storm and have done 1,100 door-to-door wellness visits. Info Hubs in flood-impacted areas The City of Ottawa is setting up Information Hubs for residents in impacted neighbourhoods to access information. Staff will be available to answer questions about garbage collection, insurance claims, financial assistance and storm clean up, mould remediation, and other recovery-related issues. The sessions will be from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. today. Items to throw away The City of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health are reminding residents that keeping water-soaked items “may be unhealthy” following flooding in the basement. “Although it may not initially be visible, mould can start growing on anything that has been damp or wet for two or more days,” the city said on its website. “In general, belongings and household contents, such as upholstered furniture, that are wet and cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried within 24 to 48 hours should be discarded, as they can remain a source of mould and bacterial growth.” The city recommends “always” throwing away these items after they are exposed to flooding: The city also recommends throwing away all food that has been exposed to flood water. Items that are usually thrown away because they can’t be properly cleaned may include:
