Framework for On-the-Ground Solutions
The District of Sooke is the first BC municipality to produce a stand-alone Liquid Waste Management Plan for Rainwater. “We followed the Ministry of Environment’s ‘Proposed Guidelines for Preparing Liquid Waste Management Plans’, released in March 2004. At the same time, we updated our OCP. The timing was perfect. This provided direction,” reports Laura Byrne, Engineering Technologist.
“Partnerships are so vital. Furthermore, networking was key to doing the Liquid Waste Management Plan affordably. By working with other agencies, and not duplicating efforts, we got it done. Now we are proceeding with development of Rainwater Management Plans for 18 watersheds over 7 years. Four are completed.”
“Because Sooke is a small municipality with limited financial resources, we have had to pare down and make the plans practical in order to be affordable. Again, networking and collaboration are making it possible for us to do this effectively.”
“The Rainwater Management Plans provide a framework for the development of on-the-ground solutions for the management of rainwater at a watershed scale. Also, they integrate planning for drainage infrastructure and ecological assessment and restoration with municipal planning processes. This integrated approach provides solutions to drainage and ecological concerns. We recognize the value of healthy watersheds – we know what we have to protect.”
TO LEARN MORE: The above story about innovation and leadership in the District of Sooke is extracted from Chapter 7 of Beyond the Guidebook 2010, released in June 2010. This water-centric guidance document tells the stories of how change is being implemented on the ground in BC.
To download a copy, click on Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia
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