As people look for activities to do during this current lockdown, the City of Belleville is reminding residents not to use stormwater ponds for recreational activities like skating or sledding because of the dangers they pose.
While they may look like natural ponds, they are actually specifically designed to prevent flooding, erosion and improve water quality.
The depth of ice on stormwater management ponds constantly varies due to the continuous and fluctuating flow of water they receive, making them unstable and extremely dangerous in the winter months.
Stormwater ponds also receive salt from road runoff which lowers the freezing point making it harder to form ice.
Belleville has 26 stormwater ponds within its boundaries, many of which are found in subdivisions, and not all are fenced off.
Most stormwater ponds have a concrete structure at the edge of the pond and a large inlet pipe for receiving water and many are ringed by an access road or trail.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk says, “We are asking residents to please avoid using these facilities for their own safety. They are not designed for these purposes and those who use them run a real risk of falling through the ice. There are community rinks and tobogganing hills throughout Belleville that are safe for use. I encourage you to use these facilities instead and stay safe.”
