BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON – Residents on Judson Street voiced their concerns Wednesday night about persistent flooding problems and severe damage in their basement following the July 10 major rain storm.

First to speak was Matilda Larson, 25 Judson St., who told members of the village board that she and her son attempted to clear debris from two storm drains to alleviate the rising water but eventually to no avail.

“It became apparent that the second event was worse than the first. It flooded the front and back of our yard that I have never seen before. The water was not going down the drain,” stated Larson, noting there ended up being 20 inches of water in her basement. “The Canton Fire Department helped pump out but there was quite a bit of damage in our cellar.” 

In fact, she said they now need to have a new furnace installed at a cost of $11,000.

“My biggest concern is that I don’t want to put in a new furnace if it’s going to happen again,” Larson remarked.

Her husband Jon Rosales also spoke, suggesting the installation of backwater check valves.

A climate scientist, he told elected officials to expect more rainfall.

“It’s going to get worse. The board needs to embrace this. It’s right up there with clearing roads of snow,” he said.

Jennifer Pfotenhauer, 12 Judson St., echoed their statements.

“There was so much water there was a current into our basement,” said Pfotenhauer, who noted she and her husband had resided at that address for 25 years. She said flooding events have occurred in 2018, 2021, 2022 and now 2024.

“Our concern is the big picture,” she said. “The county drains into this area. Are they doing anything about this?”

Neighbor Raymond Cutway, 10 Judson St., said he has had to replace a sump pump and now needs to replace his furnace.

“This is my wife’s dream house but now I’m not sure I want to live there,” said Cutway. “The water was five feet deep in my basement.”

Mark McKenna, 65 Court St., encouraged the board to address drainage issues on Court Street. 

“There has been water in our basement since I was a kid,” stated McKenna, noting the July 10 storm dumped four inches of water in his basement.

Mayor Michael Dalton sympathized with the Judson Street property owners but pointed to the cost associated with these projects.

“I’m familiar with what’s going on. We know it’s probably going to get worse and we know we need to do something,” the mayor stated. “My concern is no matter what we do we can’t handle the capacity with such a storm. We have to leave it to the engineers to review what is needed.”

Cost estimates are $1.2 million for the Cleaveland Avenue project; $2.75 million for Judson Street.

“Four million dollars has a substantial impact on the taxpayers,” said Dalton, hoping grant money will become available.

The village is currently engaged in drainage improvement projects for Cleaveland Avenue and Judson Street, with a similar study eyed for Court Street. The village has contracted with the engineering firm Barton & Loguidice, Watertown.

A memo from Alexander Kerr, from Barton & Loguidice, to Village Superintendent Tim Bacon, indicates the problem.

“Judson Street has a history of localized flooding. The Village of Canton has commissioned this study to analyze the existing network in order to quantify capacity issues and develop preliminary drainage improvements,” the memo reads.

Field observations report that Judson Street features aged drainage infrastructure and the existing network has proven to be undersized for recent storm events, which caused localized flooding in various locations along the corridor.

The consensus of the board was to come up with some short-term solutions to combat the potential flooding problems. The mayor said the board will provide updates on the Judson Street drainage issues at its next meeting on Aug. 21.