Communities Can Now Apply for a Flood Damage Reduction Program

Released on August 14, 2023

The Water Security Agency (WSA) is offering a cost-sharing rebate to help communities implement proactive flood damage prevention and reduction measures. The Flood Damage Reduction Program (FDRP) supports cities, towns, villages and hamlets at risk of recurrent flood damage.

"Although it is very dry this year, we know a major rainfall event can change that and flooding can occur quickly and unexpectedly in Saskatchewan," Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency Jeremy Cockrill said. "We hope communities take advantage of this funding to implement effective long-term mitigation strategies and become better prepared for possible floods in the future."

FDRP is part of an overall $500,000 investment that transitions from the Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program (EFDRP) announced in April, that deals only with imminent flood risk, to a more proactive longer-term program. Any funds that have not been spent under EFDRP transitions to FDRP.

Applications will be accepted until October 1, 2023. The project work will need to be completed by March 31, 2024. 

WSA will accept applications for:

• hydrologic and/or hydraulic investigations to develop risk assessments;
• flood mapping projects;
• mitigation planning, where municipalities develop emergency flood response plans or potential flood damage prevention construction designs; and,
• construction of permanent flood protection works.

A list of eligible costs can be found online at: www.wsask.ca/water. Eligible projects will be cost-shared on a 50/50 basis between WSA and the proponent, up to $100,000 per project. 

The combined Emergency and Flood Damage Reduction Program (FDRP) has been very successful. 

Since 2011, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested nearly $85 million for temporary and permanent works, along with engineering and technical support. It is estimated that for every dollar invested in flood damage protection, approximately 20 to 30 times that is saved in damage.

For more information on the program, please wsask.ca/water-programs/flood-damage-prevention/.

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