755 property owners have asked for flood relief in Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills

The latest numbers show that 755 property owners have asked Halton Region for money to assist with flood damage.

Of those requests, Halton Region says 90 per cent of the properties have been inspected by public works officials. The inspections will determine if the property owner will qualify for an “ex gratia” grant of $1,000 to assist in the recovery process.

For those who don’t speak Latin, ex gratia is a type of payment made without the payer recognizing any legal obligation. In other words, Halton may hand out the money but will do so without accepting responsibility for the damage caused by the floods of July 15 and 16.

Halton Region representatives declined to be interviewed for this story, but in their emailed response to INhalton.com officials did not indicate how many inquiries were made by Burlington property owners. Instead, they said 1,537 calls related to the flooding have been received from across the region as of Aug. 9.

However, information that local politicians released two weeks ago indicates the majority of those affected by the flood were located in Burington with 1,407 reporting damage.

More flood data is expected to be released at the September 18 meeting of Halton Region council.

Earlier it had been reported that 154 tonnes of extra garbage had been collected since early August when it was announced that extra pick-ups would be in place to assist residents who continue to clean up and throw out damaged furniture and other property.

According to Halton, Burlington residents who were the hardest hit by the flood live in Ward 3 and in communities known as Mountain Gardens, Clarksdale, Tyandaga, Palmer and Glenwood Park.

Halton Region has offered the $1,000 grant to those affected by the flood. To qualify, Public Works staff will investigate to determine if the water problem occurred because of municipal failures or issues.

If a homeowner doesn’t qualify for the regional grant, the City of Burlington is offering $1,000 to residents with confirmed flooding.

To be eligible for either grant the flood damage must be reported by calling Halton Region at 311.

Operators of 407 ETR (Express Toll Route) have also given $2,000 to residents on Cavendish Drive who experienced flooding due to drainage failures on the 407.

The City of Burlington is also promising to overhaul the way it responds to emergencies such as floods.