Drainage systems in many residential neighbourhoods in our area are working overtime these days moving excess water away from homes.

A record amount of rain in September and a large winter snowstorm earlier this month have saturated the ground in our region.

Altona Public Works Manager Clint Derksen says they've noticed it on their end too, as the town's wastewater lift stations are working almost non-stop to deal with that excess discharge.

"Drain tiles are running pretty hard right now and our wastewater lift stations are definitely feeling that since a lot of drain tile in town is plumbed into the sewer system."

The high water table has a lot of sump pumps going steady in many homes as well.

In Altona, local bylaws require sump pump water to be discharged onto the homeowner's property. Some homes, however, are pumping that water directly into the sanitary sewer line.

"Current standards do not allow for that water to be discharged into the wastewater system, because then essentially we're treating rainwater at our wastewater treatment plant which is very inefficient," said Derksen. "Sump pumps should be discharged onto property, about 3 feet back from the property line. Pumping it out into the yard is better than into the sewer system."

Meanwhile, conditions this fall have been so wet town crews have been forced to shelve some of their sidewalk construction projects for this year.