Keep a safe distance from stormwater ponds

Vaughan is home to many beautiful ponds, including more than 150 stormwater management ponds, which are human-made and designed to temporarily hold water before releasing it back into the environment at a controlled rate. They are not intended – or safe – for recreational use!

Water constantly flows in and out of stormwater ponds, so the water levels are always changing, making any activity in or around them unsafe. So, when you’re out and about this fall, please keep a safe distance from these ponds.

How we take care of our stormwater ponds

From May to October, City of Vaughan staff complete three rounds of litter cleanup and grass cutting to ensure we can access each pond for operational purposes. 

You may notice some greenery in and around the ponds is left untouched. Here’s why:

Unlike natural bodies of water, stormwater ponds are designed and built to collect rainfall and other runoff. The vegetation growing around them, such as long grass, shrubs and trees, is integral to how the ponds function because they:

• act as safety barriers for pedestrians.
• discourage geese from landing in ponds. 
• improve water quality.
• filter out coarse sediments and pollutants from the water.
• stabilize the ground when water levels fluctuate.

To learn more about Vaughan’s stormwater ponds, visit vaughan.ca/stormwater. 

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