Residents living in northeastern Steinbach are claiming that the city’s alleged negligence resulted in flooding in their homes in 2024 and 2025. A lawsuit filed in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench asserts that excessive rainfall overwhelmed the sewer system in their area due to the City of Steinbach’s purported negligence or nuisance.
The lawsuit accuses the city of breaching its duty of care by inadequately designing and maintaining the sewer system, failing to enforce relevant bylaws, and neglecting to inspect construction work that left sewer manholes vulnerable to rainwater. The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for the damages incurred during the flooding incidents in September 2024 and September 2025.
According to the lawsuit, the issues can be traced back to the early 2000s when the city approved the Clearspring Greens subdivision plan. Instead of directing the subdivision’s sewer drainage away from residential areas, the city diverted it into the existing sewer system, exacerbating the problem for the affected homeowners.
Furthermore, the City of Steinbach allegedly did not take necessary measures to increase the capacity of the sewer system despite adding the Steinbach Aquatic Centre and the Granite Park development to the network serving the plaintiffs’ homes. The lawsuit also claims that the city turned a blind eye to violations of a bylaw prohibiting rainwater discharge into the sewer system.
The lawsuit highlights that the removal of sewer manhole covers during construction in 2024 and 2025 allowed stormwater to infiltrate the closed sewer system, which was not designed to handle such influxes. The city’s failure to activate auxiliary pumps promptly during heavy rainfall events further worsened the situation, leading to sewage backup and subsequent flooding in the plaintiffs’ homes.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for property damage, loss of personal belongings, reduced property values, and emotional distress caused by the recurrent flooding incidents. The lawsuit also alleges that city officials have acknowledged shortcomings in managing the sewer system and have modified enforcement policies in response to the situation.
In response to the lawsuit, the City of Steinbach has initiated a contract tender for the construction of additional sewer infrastructure to redirect the Clearspring Greens drainage away from the affected residential area. CBC News has contacted the city for comments, emphasizing that none of the claims made in the lawsuit have been verified in court.