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Epcor’s drainage team should be facing tough questions the next time it appears before city council.

It knew, or should have known, that Griesbach or its neighbours were about to be flooded at least 33 hours before raw sewage came surging up from the drain pipes. But it seems no one thought to issue a public alert.

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Life is now getting back to normal in the hardest-hit parts of north-central Edmonton. But this was not an unpredictable flash flood and residents who lost precious memories and important household goods deserve an explanation.

It also needs to be a wake-up call for the rest of us.

Edmonton is seeing more and more severe, summer storms. That means even if city council approves Epcor’s $1.6-billion request on its 20-year flood mitigation strategy, neighbourhoods will flood again before Epcor can build the dry ponds and storage tanks necessary.

A plan is needed to warn residents in real time and take flooding seriously.