Ottawa has been hit this summer with sudden and intense weather that has led to flooding, but what if the pavement on the ground could help protect homes? One Ottawa-based company is looking to do just that by using permeable pavement to help absorb rainfall and water. The city is now set to use it in a pilot project. The permeable pavement is made by PurePave Technologies. The company specializes in eco-friendly, permeable driveway and stormwater solutions. In a demonstration for CTV News Ottawa, CEO Taylor Davis pours a bucket of water onto the ground at an electric vehicle charging station at the Ottawa airport where the company has a section of its permeable pavement on the ground. The water gets pulled into the ground, while a timer goes. He says the specialized pavement allows the ground to act like a sponge, instead of relying on drains. “It absorbed 18 litres of water in 32 seconds through less than one square foot of surface area,” said Davis. Davis explains that when rain falls on regular asphalt, it doesn’t get absorbed and instead moves along the surface towards a drain, causing flooding. “When you have a storm system that’s essentially full during these rain events, that’s what we’re starting to see flooding,” he explained. “That’s when we have nowhere for the water to go.” With permeable pavement, the water moves through it and then into the ground itself where it gets absorbed. Davis says the idea is to hopefully avoid using the sewer system altogether. The City of Ottawa is set to use the product in a pilot project with strips being installed along Anna Avenue and Crown Crescent near Carling and Fisher avenues. The sections will run along the shoulder of the road. Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine has pushed for using the technology in city infrastructure. He says the pilot project is “the first of its kind in Canada.” While other permeable pavement systems exist, PurePave Technologies says this one is unique as it’s made to work in colder climates. The pilot project has received financial support from the Government of Canada, and involves research collaboration with the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, explains Davis. Devine says permeable pavement is being adopted in New York City but using it in city infrastructure is a first in Canada. “I hope now that we scale up. That we do a lot more of this,” he said. “Because Ottawa’s vulnerable wards, including my own, are being hit time and time again. And frankly, we could never afford to increase the size of our sewer systems.” The pilot project is expected to launch in the fall.
