Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC

BC Hydro’s Conservation Community of Practice demonstrates a “top-down & bottom-up” approach to leading change

2012-02-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

Connecting Water, Land....and People

In 2009, BC Hydro Power Smart recognized the need for collaboration among organizations and individuals within the province; and embarked upon an initiative known as the Conservation Community of Practice.

“We define conservation quite broadly, to include more than just conserving energy or reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” states Pia Nagpal, BC Hydro Program Manager for Community Planning. “Our long-term goal is build connections between and within communities that result in advancing existing and creating new community-based commitments to actions that support the creation of a conservation culture, and ultimately, conservation itself.”

“The Conservation Community of Practice, supported by BC Hydro, but in existence because of its members, was created in 2010 to bring together like minded conservation champions across BC to collaborate and share best practices on community based conservation initiatives. Organizations such as the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia have participated in discussions on how to engage communities and municipalities in order to increase education and achieve action.”

“Inspired by members’ innovation and passion to create change, the Conservation Community of Practice publishes a monthly newsletter that features a member organization and/or story to share with others. In February 2012, we were pleased to draw attention to the great work of the Partnership for Water Sustainability. The Partnership connects water, land and people. It is demonstrating the effectiveness of a top-down and bottom-up approach to leading change in the local government setting,” concludes Pia Nagpal.

TO LEARN MORE: The Community-of-Practice newsletter story is posted on the Water Bucket website. To access it, click on Partnershipfor Water Sustainability in BC Connects Water, Land and People.

E-Blast #2012-08

February 28, 2012

BC Hydro Power Smart initiates 'A Conservation Dialogue - Creating a Community of Practice'

2012-02-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

Share - Learn - Network - Engage

In May 2010, the BC Hydro Power Smart team convened a select group of community leaders from across the province for a one-day dialogue.

"BC Hydro Power Smart recognizes the need for collaboration among organizations and individuals within the province," emphasized Jeff Chiu, Manager, Community Network of Power Smart Specialists, in his remarks to the group. "As such, we have coordinated efforts with the Climate Action Secretariat’s office to build this provincial community network that can and will support regional based activities."

"We feel there is an opportunity to support and strengthen the work of local leaders; we are convinced of this based on our extensive experience in communities across the province. Our long-term goal is build connections between and within communities that result in advancing existing and creating new community-based commitments to actions that support the creation of a conservation culture, and ultimately, conservation itself."

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on BC Hydro Power Smart initiates 'A Conservation Dialogue - Creating a Community of Practice'

Reflections on a 'Bottom Up Top Down' Approach that is emerging in British Columbia

2012-02-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

Convening for Action on Vancouver Island

In May 2010, the BC Hydro Power Smart team convened a select group of community leaders from across the province for a one-day dialogue.

"Our objective is for participants to work together to co-create a conservation community of practice that connects you and your networks with other like-minded leaders throughout BC to share your successes and challenges in engaging communities." stated Pia Nagpal, BC Hydro Program Manager for Community Engagement.

"I believe this to be an excellent initiative," observes Eric Bonham, Past-Chair of the Highlands Stewardship Foundation and a former Director in two BC provincial ministries (Environment, and Municipal Affairs). He is also a founding member of Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, known by the acronym CAVI.

"I have always maintained that without community 'buy-in' the usual 'top down' approach will not result in the long term changes necessary to achieve the goal of sustainablity; hence my passion for community engagement through stewardship, etc and the adoption of a 'bottom-up top down involvement' approach."

"The CAVI vision is that we will build and/or rebuild our communities in a way that achieves water sustainability over time. How we get there relies on a change in mind-set. The CAVI role is to facilitate that change."

"I would suggest that any gains we may have made in the CAVI initiative has been due to this appreciation of listening to the community and letting them 'drive the bus'."

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on BC Hydro Power Smart initiates 'A Conservation Dialogue - Creating a Community of Practice'

How Green Does Your Garden Grow?

2012-02-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

click on image

Gardening Turns Out to be Very Eco-Unfriendly

"Gardening: surely few things could be more eco-friendly? Not so, it seems. Scientists have produced new research which suggests that, far from doing their bit to save the planet, Britain's green-fingered army may be damaging it," write Roger Dobson and Jonathan Owen in an article published in the Independent, a British newspaper.

"The very staples of modern gardening, from mowing and watering the lawn to the use of peat and pesticides, have a harmful effect on the environment, claim experts from the University of Reading, the University of Sheffield, and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Their paper, The Domestic Garden: Its Contribution to Urban Green Infrastructure, questions the widespread assumption that gardening is eco-friendly."

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete article as published in the Indepedent, click here. To view the image above, click on How Green Does Your Garden Grow?

Sustainable Rainwater Management on Vancouver Island: What Does It Look Like?

2012-02-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

Cowichan Valley Regional Team hosts

Water Balance Model Forum on March 28

Land development practices and actions at the site scale can result in either impacts or benefits at the local and watershed scales. The “Water Balance Methodology” holds the key to protecting stream health because it accounts for all the rainfall-days in a year. This methodology is a foundation block for those tasked with developing an Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP).

The web-based Water Balance Model for British Columbia (WBM) is a scenario comparison tool. Launched by an inter-governmental partnership in 2003, the tool quantifies the effectiveness of green infrastructure in accomplishing two inter-connected goals: reduce a community’s ‘water footprint’; and protect stream health.

In 2011, the Water Balance Model was rebuilt on a new platform. It is quicker and cleaner to use; and it now has launch buttons at three scales of investigation; SITE, NEIGHBOURHOOD and WATERSHED.

Water Balance Model Outreach

In conjunction with the re-build, the WBM Partnership is implementing an outreach, education and training program.

“In 2008, the Cowichan Valley was the first demonstration region for the initial rollout of Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan, and also hosted the inaugural Vancouver Island Water Balance Model Forum. On March 28^th, the Cowichan Valley will again host a WBM Forum. Our venue is a LEED facility on the Duncan campus of Vancouver Island University,” reports Kate Miller of the Cowichan Valley Regional District. Kate is Manager of the Regional Environmental Policy Division; and is currently integrating rain, storm and stream management at multiple scales in the region using a ‘design with nature’ approach to infrastructure.

“The Forum is the kick-off for an Inter-Regional Education Initiative to be implemented in four regions over several years. Sharing of experiences, collaboration, alignment and a consistent approach on Vancouver Island will allow everyone to go farther, more efficiently and effectively.”

“Five local governments comprising the Cowichan Valley Regional Team will report out on how each has progressed since 2008. Our emphasis will be on “targets and criteria”, lessons learned, and practices necessary to protect stream health. Regulatory agencies and other local governments will also be sharing their insights at the WBM Forum.”

"WBM Partners understand that the water balance methodology links rainfall to streams, and this is how we will protect our streams. It is all about maintaining the natural balance and speed of water in (or on) and out at the site level and for the watershed. This means properties, streams and the watershed are protected from unnatural runoff volumes and erosive forces. This also means that the community’s infrastructure, whether man-made or natural, can accommodate the volumes it was designed for without causing damage," concludes Kate Miller.

TO LEARN MORE: To register for the Water Balance Model Forum, click on this link: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/event/WBMForum.asp. To download an AGENDA PREVIEW, click here.

E-Blast #2012-07

February 21, 2012

Water Balance Model recognized with Premier's Award for Innovation and Excellence

2012-02-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

2-minute video tells the

"Story of the Water Balance Model"

The Lower Mainland’s exceptional B.C. public service employees were the focus of a ceremony in February 2009 hosted by former Premier Gordon Campbell, where the recipients of regional Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards acknowledging their creativity and dedication were announced. The Water Balance Model for British Columbia was one of the award winners.

Award finalists told their stories in a series of professionally made videos. Each 2-minute video was built around a visual metaphor. The Water Balance Model video features:

Ted van der Gulik, Chair of the Inter-Governmental Partnership that developed the web-based tool; and
Kim Stephens, Program Coordinator for the Water Sustainability Action Plan, who created the vision for the Water Balance Model in 2000.

"The Water Balance Model is a means to an end," stated Ted van der Gulik, in explaining what the visual metaphor meant to him and Kim Stephens. "The challenge that we have been posing since 2002 is this: What do we want this province to look like in 50 years and beyond?"

"The Water Balance Model is a tool that will help us create our future," added Kim Stephens. "To get to the big picture, it starts with the smallest pieces. The Water Balance Model links the site to the stream to the watershed."

To view the video, click on this link to the story of the Water Balance Model.

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on Premier Gordon Campbell recognizes the Water Balance Model for its innovation and excellence.

2008 Vancouver Island Water Balance Model Forum featured Cowichan Valley case study applications

2012-02-18T16:06:00.002-08:00

Living Water Smart in British Columbia:

Doing Business Differently

In October 2008, the Cowichan Valley Regional District hosted a ‘by invitation only’ Water Balance Model Forum. This was part of the implementation program for Beyond the Guidebook: The New Business As Usual, and was organized under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.

The Forum was designed to add depth to Living Water Smart, the provincial government’s vision and plan to keep British Columbia's water healthy and secure for the future. "The Province and local government are collaborating to develop a suite of user-friendly tools and approaches for assessment purposes and to provide consistency when reviewing development applications. The web-based Water Balance Model for British Columbia is one of these tools," Jay Bradley, speaking on behalf of the Province, informed the Forum audience.

"The Forum was conducted as a hybrid-training workshop to inform, educate and enable those who wish to apply the Water Balance Model to support a Design with Nature approach to land development. The Forum featured a roundtable sharing of case study experience related to achieving runoff-based performance targets," reports Kate Miller, chair of the inter-governmental Cowichan Valley Regional Team.

"Willing owners/developers and their planning/design consultants collaborated with the Water Balance Model team to develop applications at the watershed, neighbourhood and site scales. These examples provided the technical foundation for sharing, exploration and cross-fertilization of ideas on how to implement green infrastructure effectively."

Building on the Vancouver Island experience, the City of Surrey hosted the first Metro Vancouver Water Balance Model Forum in March 2009. This learning event adapted the Cowichan Valley format for establishing local government expectations.

TO LEARN MORE:
For the complete story on the Forum, click on 2008 Cowichan Valley Water Balance Model Forum: List of Water Bucket Stories.

These stories are consolidated in a downloadable document which can be accessed by clicking on Summary Report on Cowichan Valley Water Balance Model Forum.

"The Story of the 2008 Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series" - pilot for aligning local actions & provincial goals

2012-02-18T16:06:00.001-08:00

Doing Business Differently to Create Liveable Communities and Protect Stream Health

In conjunction with the release of Living Water Smart, British Columbia's Water Plan in 2008, the Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series promoteda consistent provincial approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure. Participating local governments in two regions represented some 250,000 people.

The Cowichan Valley Series comprised a set of three sessions held during the June - July 2008 period. To access links to a comprehensive set of 16 web stories describing all aspects of the Cowichan Valley series, click on Promoting a consistent approach to Rainwater Management & Green Infrastructure to achieve liveable communities in balance with ecology.
The Comox Valley Series comprised a set of three sessions held during the September - November 2008 period. To access links to a comprehensive set of 28 web stories describing all aspects of the Comox Valley series, click on Nature Knows No Boundaries: Making Green Choices to Create Liveable Communities & Protect Stream Health.

In 2008, the Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series was the first step in building a regional team approach so that there will be a common understanding and consistent messaging regarding on-the-ground expectations for rainwater management and green infrastructure in British Columbia.

TO LEARN MORE: The Story of the 2008 Vancouver Island Learning Lunch Seminar Series is told in the words of those who embraced the concept and made it happen. The story describes how this pilot fits into a bigger picture; and how the program elements that comprise Convening for Action on Vancouver Island are linked. Each success builds on the last, and paves the way for the next. To download a report-style PDF copy, click here.

In 2008, the Cowichan Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series provided the springboard to the inaugural Vancouver Island Water Balance Model Forum, hosted by the Cowichan Valley Regional District and organized by the inter-governmental Cowichan Valley Regional Team chaired by Kate Miller.

Capture Rain Where It Falls: Application of the Water Balance Model to 'Design with Nature'

2012-02-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

An article published in the

Communities in Transition Newsletter

In a guest column published online by the Communities in Transition Information Resource in March 2009, Kim Stephens explained why the Water Balance Model for British Columbia is garnering considerable attention as an important ‘decision support tool’ to help improve the way we develop land in British Columbia.

According to Hans Peter Myer, CIT Editor, "Kim Stephens returns to the CIT Information Resource with more news about ‘design with nature’ approaches to community, land development, and water management. One of our editorial team described Kim’s treatment as the best overview she’s come across."

"The Water Balance Model, as an approach to managing rainwater, was first introduced in 2003. It was an impressive step towards applying a ‘design with nature’ solution to a growing problem for many municipalities. A ‘new’ WBM was launched at the end of 2008 to considerable acclaim. It garnered the Premier’s Award for Innovation & Excellence in February 2009 and considerable attention as an important “decision support tool” to help improve the way we develop land in British Columbia," wrote Kim Stephens. He is responsible for developing the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.

To download a PDF version of the column, click on Capture Rain Where It Falls: Application of the Water Balance Model to 'Design with Nature'

About Communities in Transition: For many years, Communities in Transition (CIT) was a signature program of the Real Estate Foundation of BC. It was created to help increase the ability of non-metropolitan communities to address the challenges they face when planning for use and conservation of lands.

In 2010, the CIT program was wound down. What does this mean? The Real Estate Foundation's involvement in current projects under the "CIT" label has changed or ceased. The Foundation continues to make grants in all regions of the province--as it has since 1988--though they are no longer identified with the CIT brand.

Sustainable Rainwater Management in the District of Sooke: What Does It Look Like?

2012-02-14T06:34:00.000-08:00

2012 Building SustainAble Communities Conference showcases innovation

The Fresh Outlook Foundation is hosting its 5th Building SustainAble Communities conference February 27th to March 1st, 2012 in Kelowna, BC, Canada. The program--inspired by 75 industry experts on 11 planning committees--features a variety of plenaries, breakouts, panels, workshops, debates, and interactive sessions to provide opportunities for enhanced communication and collaboration.

“There is a special day-long session devoted to sustainable water management issues. Six panel sessions will address different aspects of water and provide a broad-brush picture of the innovation that is emerging in British Columbia. The Sustainable Rainwater Management session will set the stage for a Water Balance Model companion event organized by the Okanagan Basin Water Board," reports Joanne deVries, Fresh Outlook Founder and CEO.

Rainwater Panel
The Rainwater Panel will present a series of ‘vignettes’ to showcase the experience of local governments that are BC leaders in innovation. These vignettes will be cascading in providing the audience with a picture of what ‘Sustainable Rainwater Management” looks like at three scales: watershed basin, watershed catchment and project site.

The vignettes will illustrate desired outcomes for the current “ISMP Course Correction” initiative in BC, where ISMP is the acronym for Integrated Stormwater Management Plan. The unifying theme for the session is: Integrate the site with the watershed and stream to protect watershed and stream health.

The Rainwater Panel comprises Kim Stephens (Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC), Laura Byrne (District of Sooke), Richard Boase (District of North Vancouver) and Carrie Baron (City of Surrey). To learn more about the Rainwater Panel session, click on SustainableRainwater Management: What Does It Look Like?

District of Sooke's Rainwater Management Plan: The District of Sooke on Vancouver Island has taken a proactive approach to wastewater and rainwater management and is recognizing the significance of environmental protection of the region. Sooke is the first community in British Columbia to integrate both Sanitary and Rainwater LWMPs (Liquid Waste Management Plans).

“The District of Sooke has exceeded provincial requirements for liquid waste management and created a rainwater management plan that makes protecting water quality a guiding principle in land use decisions,” states Laura Byrne, the District’s project manager for plan development. “Because our rainwater management plan is outcome-oriented, it has stayed true to Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia. The plan works on three principles: protect existing water quality, prevent future damage, and remediate areas that may already be damaged. The District aims to improve water quality in Sooke Harbour and the Sooke Basin to the point where a longstanding ban on shellfish harvesting can be lifted.”

“To achieve the community vision for healthy streams and harbour, the District encourages green infrastructure for rainwater capture and also encourages use of the Water Balance Model. In fact, the draft Subdivision and Development Standard Bylaw includes a requirement for developers to employ the Water Balance Model for all developments, regardless of the number of lots. Sooke recognizes that the water balance methodology links rainfall to streams, and this is how we will protect our streams,” concludes Laura Byrne.

TO LEARN MORE: Enhanced rainwater management will have direct effects on the environment (watercourses and watersheds), public health and well-being and the ways in which municipal infrastructure and private land is developed. For more information and to download the Sooke plan, click here.

E-Blast #2012-06

February 14, 2012

Learning to Think Like a Watershed

2012-02-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Collaboration is a Necessity

Imagine engaging all interests and governments in an effective collaborative process that successfully responds to the challenges and opportunities of watershed governance. In January 2012, this was the primary purpose for gathering key players working on and interested in collaborative watershed governance in British Columbia. The title of the 2-day event was:

A Water Gathering: Collaborative Watershed Governance in BC and Beyond

Hosted in Vancouver by the Pacific Business & Law Insitute, this gathering was a shared exploration of how to build and maintain successful collaborative processes to govern watersheds. According to Oliver Brandes, a program organizer, the goal was to share participants’ collective experiences and, in workshops, engage those with widely-recognized expertise in addressing practical challenges.

"Dialogue is always a precursor to action in a healthy democracy. The challenge is to include a broader cast of characters so that more than just the “usual” suspects are involved in decisions. This forum was designed with the belief that collaborative solutions are within reach, calling on successful stories of change," states Oliver Brandes, Senior Research Associate and Co-Director of the POLIS Project at the University of Victoria.

"Everyone in B.C. agrees that we want to keep our lakes and rivers clean and flowing, and that we have to share it between different uses and different kinds of users: for the environment, for washing and drinking, for farms and for fish, for economic opportunities and, most fundamentally, to ensure ecological function. It seems sensible to sort through competing interests and potential conflicts by getting those interests — and those affected — to talk together."

TO LEARN MORE: To read an op-ed article about the gathering, and published by the Vancouver Sun, click on Learning to Think Like a Watershed. The article was co-authored by Oliver Brandes, David Marshall (founding Executive Director of the Fraser Basin Council), and Anna Warwick Sears (Executive Director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board).

Oliver Brandes was the principal author of At a Watershed: Ecological Governance and Sustainable Water Management in Canada, published in 2005. To download a copy, click here.

Okanagan Basin Water Board hosts first in 2012–2013 Series of “Water Balance Model Training Workshops”

2012-02-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

Do you wonder how communities can reduce their ‘water footprint’ & protect stream health?

“In 2011, we rebuilt the Water Balance Model on a new platform. It is quicker and cleaner to use; and it now has launch buttons at three scales of investigation; SITE, NEIGHBOURHOOD and WATERSHED. In conjunction with the re-build, the WBM Partnership is implementing an outreach, education and training program,” states Richard Boase, Partnership Co-Chair. “The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) has stepped forward to host the first WBM training workshop in the 2012-2013 Series. It will be held on March 1^st in Kelowna as part of the OBWB Climate Adaptation Workshop program. In subsequent months, we will be announcing other WBM education and training opportunities in other regions. Training workshops will be held in computer lab settings.”

“The water balance methodology links rainfall to flows in the stream, and hence, protection of stream health. In conducting our training workshops, an educational outcome is that municipal engineers, planners and consultants will understand why and how to apply the water balance methodology to achieve targets.”

“This methodology should be a foundation block for those who are tasked with developing an Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP). Without this ‘how-to-do-it’ understanding, they will be challenged to recommend the actions necessary to protect or restore watershed function,” concludes Richard Boase.

To Learn More About the Water Balance Model:

To register, click on http://www.obwb.ca/toolsworkshop.To download the agenda, click on SustainableRainwater Management: What Does It Look Like?

The following stories are posted on the Water Bucket website and provide background:

E-Blast #2012-05

February 8, 2012

Metro Vancouver contributes $50,000 towards enhancement of the “Water Balance Model for British Columbia”

2012-02-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

Integrate the Site with the Watershed and Stream to Protect Stream Health

The Water Balance Model for British Columbia is a scenario comparison tool. It can help local governments create a future watershed vision by informing their decisions about the impacts, or not, of their ‘water footprint’ on watershed health. The majority of Metro Vancouver municipalities are Water Balance Model Partners.

Originally developed to meet the stormwater management planning needs of Metro Vancouver municipalities, it has become "British Columbia's tool". In 2009, the Water Balance Model team received a Premier's Award for Innovation and Excellence.

In mid-September 2011, Kim Stephens (Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability) met with Metro Vancouver's Waste Management Committee and presented the vision for rebuilding the Water Balance Model on a Linux platform. Five weeks later on October 19, the Metro Vancouver Board amended its 2012 Budget to incorporate a line item for the Water Balance Model.

Regulatory Context

“Metro Vancouver has contributed $50,000 to fund further enhancement of the Water Balance Model because widespread use of this decision tool will help Metro Vancouver and members fulfil our regulatory commitments, in particular those related to integrated rainwater management,” states Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore, Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board.

“Actions required of local government are spelled out in the region’s Integrated Liquid Waste & Resource Management Plan, approved by the Minister of Environment in May 2011. Conditions in the Minister’s approval highlight the importance of land use planning in protecting stream health. The conditions focus attention on how the degree, type and location of land development can affect the long-term health of the watershed.”

“The region and members have committed to protecting stream and watershed health. This will be accomplished by managing rain where it falls. Use of the Water Balance Model can help municipalities to define achievable and affordable performance targets at the watershed, neighbourhood and site scales,” concludes Chair Greg Moore.

ABOUT THE WATER BALANCE MODEL

"A decade ago, the Water Balance Model was developed by an inter-governmental partnership. The genesis for the partnership was a Metro Vancouver technical working group. The Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia is the legal entity for the Water Balance Model. The majority of Metro Vancouver municipalities are charter members of the Partnership," states Richard Boase, Co-Chair of the Water Balance Model Partnership.

"This scenario comparison tool is unique because it is web-based; bridges planning and engineering; links development sites to the stream and watershed; and most importantly, it helps define science-based performance targets for protecting stream health. The water balance methodology links rainfall to flows in the stream, and hence, protection of stream health," explains Jim Dumont, Engineering Applications Authority for the Water Balance Model Partnership.

"The Water Balance Model incorporates modules for land use, source controls, climate change, rainwater harvesting and stream erosion. More modules are being added in 2012. These will open the door to an array of educational opportunities to help local government staff, builders, developers, consultants, real estate agents and others understand the effect of their choices and decisions on the natural environment," concludes Ted van der Gulik, Chair of the Water Balance Model Partnership.

To Learn More: Click on www.waterbalance.ca and also read the following stories that are posted on the Water Bucket website:

Water Balance Model Partners are charter members of the ‘Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia’

Majority of Local Governments in the Lower Mainland are Water Balance Model Partners

Community of Users Inform Platform Conversion for Water Balance Model

Metro Vancouver hosts 2011 Water Balance Model Partners Forum

BC Environment Minister Strengthens Metro Vancouver's Visionary Plan for Managing Rainwater Resources

Ministry of Environment highlights importance of land use planning in protecting stream health

Vision for ‘Water Balance Model Express’ introduced to Elected Representatives in Metro Vancouver Region

Primer on Rainwater Management in an Urban Watershed Context

Primer on Urban Watershed Modelling to Inform Local Government Decision Processes

E-Blast #2012-04

February 1, 2012

Canada's Gas Tax Fund Provides Boost to BC Communities

2012-01-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

Program Supports Long-Term Infrastructure Planning

VICTORIA – Over $3.7 million from Canada's Gas Tax Fund will be provided to 22 communities throughout British Columbia to support long-term infrastructure planning.

"Our Government is proud to deliver permanent annual infrastructure funding for municipalities through Canada's Gas Tax Fund," said the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "Investing in local infrastructure creates local jobs and economic growth, and the Gas Tax Fund delivers stable, predictable funding that provides communities with flexibility to choose their own infrastructure priorities. By providing greater certainty for long-term planning and local infrastructure renewal, the Gas Tax Fund is helping to strengthen communities across British Columbia and lay the foundation for a bright and prosperous future in Canada."

The projects supported through this funding will address a broad range of strategic priorities, including growth management, community energy planning, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

"Local governments across B.C. have a strong foundation in planning, and this component of the Gas Tax Fund provides the opportunity to advance sustainability as it pertains to environmental, cultural, social and economic dimensions," said Ida Chong, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.

About the Gas Tax Fund

Canada's Gas Tax Fund provides stable, long-term funding to local governments and other organizations to help them build and revitalize public infrastructure. This Infrastructure Canada program primarily supports capital projects such as local roads, public transit, energy systems and waste management infrastructure that lead to cleaner air, cleaner water or reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) administers the Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia in collaboration with Canada and British Columbia. On December 15, 2011, the Government of Canada passed legislation to make the Gas Tax Fund a permanent annual investment of $2 billion.

"There have been significant advancements to sustainable planning practices in recent years," said Heath Slee, President of UBCM. "The Gas Tax Fund is helping communities to take advantage of these improved tools as they design the communities in which we live."

To Learn More: To access a list of recipient communities and funding amounts, click here.

British Columbia Partnership announces that rebuilt “Water Balance Model” is now LIVE!

2012-01-25T06:36:00.000-08:00

Integrate Performance Targets at Three Scales to Protect Stream Health

The Water Balance Model for British Columbia is a scenario comparison tool. In December 2011, the Water Balance Model Partnership completed a year-long program to rebuild both the website front-end and the user interface that connects to the QUALHYMO calculation engine.

Launched in 2003, it can help local governments create a future watershed vision by informing their decisions about the impacts, or not, of their ‘water footprint’ on watershed health. The Water Balance Model enables the user to establish performance targets for rainfall capture and runoff control at the site, neighbourhood and watershed scales.

To learn about the context for the tool, also read the set of six stories about "Integrated Rainwater Management in the 21st Century" that follow immediately below this one: Beyond MAR; Overcoming Fear and Doubt; Team Effort; Create a Vision; What Drives a Successful Model; and Focus on Solutions.

About the New Platform
“Rebuilt on a Linux platform, the Water Balance Model (WBM) is now quicker and cleaner to use. Also, it incorporates new modules that provide expanded capabilities. Early responses from users exceed expectations. Feedback from those involved in land development and infrastructure servicing confirms that the rebuild is timely. It is filling an on-the-ground need,” reports Richard Boase, Co-Chair, WBM Partnership.

“The rebuilt Water Balance Model is tailored to multiple levels of users who have a wide range of technical backgrounds, from hydrology experts to stewardship groups. To provide users with more flexibility, the model now has launch buttons at three scales of investigation: SITE, NEIGHBOURHOOD and WATERSHED.”

“New modules encompass stream erosion, rainwater harvesting and climate change. More modules are coming in 2012, including the Drainage Infrastructure Screening Tool and a tree canopy module. These will open doors to an array of educational opportunities.”

“Embedded in the Water Balance Model is a Stream Health Methodology. It addresses the interaction of runoff (volume and duration) with the physical aspects considered important to the aquatic environment. We can now correlate green infrastructure effectiveness with protection of stream health.”

“The Partnership vision is that local governments will utilize the Water Balance Model to establish watershed-specific targets; and then translate those targets into action at the site scale,” concludes Richard Boase.

TO LEARN MORE:

To access the WBM website and learn about the model capabilities, click on www.waterbalance.ca.

To read a background article posted on the WaterBucket website, click on

Partnership announces that rebuilt “Water Balance Model for British Columbia” is now LIVE!.

To download an explanatory document about the Stream Health Methodology, click on

Beyond the Guidebook: Methodology for Establishing Science-Based Performance Targets.

E-Blast #2012-03

January 25, 2012

Rainwater Management in the 21st Century: "We have moved beyond MAR in British Columbia," says Kim Stephens

2012-01-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

The Goal is to Protect Stream Health

“In 2002, the Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia introduced a science-based methodology for setting performance targets for managing RUNOFF VOLUME and RUNOFF RATE, states Peter Law (formerly with the Ministry of Environment), Chair of the 2002 Guidebook Steering Committee.

“We linked the use of performance targets to the Integrated Strategy for Managing the Rainfall Spectrum; and we defined the rainfall spectrum in terms of three tiers, with each tier corresponding to a component of the Integrated Strategy, namely: rainfall capture at the site scale, runoff control at the neighbourhood scale and flood mitigation at the watershed scale.”

“We referenced the three tiers to a value that we defined as the Mean Annual Rainfall (MAR),” continues Ted van der Gulik (Ministry of Agriculture), Chair of the Water Balance Model Partnership and a member of the 2002 Guidebook Steering Committee. “We introduced the MAR concept in order to facilitate a paradigm-shift in the way rainfall is viewed.”

“As our understanding of what is achievable through ‘RAINwater management’ has grown, we have moved beyond the MAR concept. It was in addressing the relationship between ‘rainfall capture’ and ‘runoff rate control’ that the Beyond the Guidebook initiative picked up where the Guidebook left off in 2002," explains Kim Stephens, Guidebook Project Manager and now Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.

Moving Beyond MAR

"By 2007, we had become concerned about the way MAR was either being misinterpreted or misunderstood by various regulators and drainage practitioners in British Columbia. Because they were applying it as a prescriptive solution, they had lost sight of the goal - which is to protect stream health. And in so doing, they were not thinking about the nature of the relationship between rainwater runoff and flow in streams, and the implications for stream erosion and sedimentation. These are processes that impact on stream health," explains Kim Stephens.

"Our original rationale for introducing MAR in 2002 was to provide consistency with the Land Development Guidelines. When they were released in 1992, the regulatory focus was on managing storms with a 2-year period. Statistically speaking, this is approximately equivalent to the MAR. Because the concept of the Rainfall Spectrum was new territory for drainage engineers, the MAR established a point of departure that was familiar to them so that they would readily make the transition to a new way of thinking - and that is, how to manage all 180 'rainfall-days' in a year, not just one or two extreme storm events."

"Introduction of the MAR focused attention upon the site level while assuming there would be benefits to the watershed and streams. In 2007, the Beyond the Guidebook initiative addressed the need to take a closer look at the relationship between the rainfall spectrum and the flows actually entering streams from the watershed."

"Over the past decade, ongoing development and evolution of the Water Balance Model has enabled us to move beyond the simplistic MAR concept and address the interaction of runoff - both volume and duration - with the physical aspects considered important to the aquatic environment," concludes Kim Stephens.

TO LEARN MORE about why and how the Water Balance Model is a tool to correlate runoff volume management with stream erosion and water quality outcomes. click on Application of the "DFO Urban Stormwater Guidelines" has evolved over the past decade to protect stream health to read a story posted on the Water Bucket website.

Rainwater Management in the 21st Century: Overcoming Fear and Doubt

2012-01-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

UniverCity atop Burnaby Mountain

At a rainwater conference hosted by the University of British Columbia in June 2007, this question was posed to a panel of practitioners: Obstacles to innovations; how to introduce changes into stormwater management?

Kim Stephens drew on his Metro Vancouver experience to tell a story that provided the flavour of what it was like to be in the hot seat when introducing a new way of thinking and doing in 2000. He was project manager and principal author of Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, released by the Province in June 2002.

“During the 2000-2001 period we had to overcome fear and doubt in order to move ahead with projects such as the East Clayton Sustainable Community in Surrey, and UniverCity on Burnaby Mountain. It was David Reid who coined the overcoming fear and doubt mantra; it stuck and became an integral part of the UniverCity story," Kim Stephens told the UBC audience.

“By early 2001, we were literally hanging on by our fingernails. At the time, it was Patrick Condon of UBC who said: 'If we fail, it will be a generation before anyone will even have the opportunity to try again; so we must not fail'. Well, we did not fail. And because we succeeded with East Clayton and UniverCity, those hard-fought successes have ultimately made it possible to change land development practices to capture rain where it falls," concluded Kim Stephens.

TO LEARN MORE: In 2000, translating high expectations into practical design guidelines meant revisiting accepted drainage engineering practice. To read the complete story from which the above was extracted, click on Overcoming Fear and Doubt to Implement Changes in Infrastructure Standards, posted on Water Bucket in 2007. This provides historical context for development of the Water Balance Model by a BC-based inter-governmental partnership.

Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO: A Team Effort

2012-01-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

Evolution of the Water Balance Model

Developed by an Inter-Governmental Partnership as an extension of Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, the “Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO” is the shared legacy of a team of senior practitioners. The tool is the outcome of a building block process that has depended on the commitment of a number of organizations, and especially the efforts of the champions within those organizations, to produce a series of deliverables that successively advanced the practice of rainwater management within British Columbia.

A decade ago, the genesis for WBM development was UniverCity, the sustainable community built adjacent to Simon Fraser University atop Burnaby Mountain in Metro Vancouver. The value of the water balance approach was then recognized and championed by a Metro Vancouver technical committee.

In 2007, the Water Balance Model web interface was integrated with the QUALHYMO calculation engine. This provided the capability to address the interaction of runoff (volume and duration) with the physical aspects considered important to the aquatic environment.

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Balance Model website, click on Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO: A Team Effort.

Rainwater Management in the 21st Century: Water Balance Model can help create a vision of the future watershed

2012-01-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

The Water Balance Model is Unique

Developed as an extension of the Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, the Water Balance Model (WBM) bridges planning and engineering; links development sites to the stream and watershed; and enables science-based performance targets to be established. It is a scenario comparison and decision support tool. The ‘WBM powered by QUALHYMO’ differs from other drainage modelling tools in three fundamental ways:

it is web-based;
development is driven by the community of users; and
it can help create a vision of the future watershed.

“All three are powerful in their own rights. There is no other comparable web-based tool,” states Dr. Charles Rowney, WBM Scientific Authority and creator of the QUALHYMO calculation engine.

The WBM demonstrates how to achieve a lighter ‘water footprint’. This helps planners and designers wrap their minds around how to implement ‘design with nature’ solutions on-the-ground. The stream health methodology embedded in the WBM enables a watershed target to be established. It also enables the user to assess how to meet the watershed target at the site scale.

"A key message is that the WBM is a unique ‘scenario comparison tool’. Because there is no restriction on the scenarios, this allows users to create an understanding of the past and present and compare it to many possible futures. This capability allows communities to assess how watersheds can be altered, for good or bad. Then they can create a vision of where they would like to go, and how the watersheds can meet their vision," adds Jim Dumont, WBM Engineering Applications Authority.

TO LEARN MORE: The WBM is the shared legacy of a team of senior practitioners. The tool is the outcome of a building block process. For more information on the history of this unique tool, click on Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO: A Team Effort.

Rainwater Management in the 21st Century: "What Drives a Successful Model?" is explained by Dr. Charles Rowney

2012-01-24T21:31:00.001-08:00

Click here to view full-size image

What Are the Major Issues?

At the 2011 Water Balance Model Partners Forum hosted by Metro Vancouver, Dr. Charles Rowney reviewed the implications of computing technology decisions. In the 1980s, he developed the QUALHYMO calculation engine for the Ontario Ministry of Environment. Respected internationally, Dr. Rowney is the Scientific Authority for the Water Balance Model (WBM).

The graphic shown above "....is a distillation and synthesis of conversations with several hundred people from all around the world who are experienced modellers. Within this group are individuals who I consider to be the premier people in their field. When we discussed the question - what are the major issues? - seven themes emerged," stated Dr. Rowney. In order of priority, they are:

1.   Meeting Data Needs
2.   Inadequate Problem Formulation
3.   Time / Money
4.   State of Practice
5.   Understanding
6.   Questionable Need
7.   Forecast Condition

"What is interesting about this synthesis of an engine as compared with the framework that is the WBM is that these seven impediments are tackled head-on."

Meeting Data Needs: "The number one point of pain is meeting data needs. We have all heard the stories about a model such as HSPF with 30 or 40 parameters to adjust, and the best curve-fitting engine in the world, but we can't find the data. We can't make it work."

"If we take what we as a community know is required, the data needs to get to the end-point within the WBM are just minimal. They are no less than is needed; but they are no more than is needed. When you think about what is happening with this Water Balance tool in terms of consistency, and in terms of what you might call a consensus standard and agreed approach, it is formulating the problem in a way that is technically defendable...and that is workable."

"What we doing with the WBM is exciting. It is a direct attack on what it takes to get the answers. We are evolving the state of practice. BC is the only place I know of where there is a link between the applied practice and climate change, and what are we going to do to make this a routine part of our analysis," summarized Dr. Rowney.

TO LEARN MORE: The foregoing is extracted from a guidance document released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in November 2011. To download a copy, click on Primer on Urban Watershed Modelling to Inform Local Government Decision Processes.

Rainwater Management in the 21st Century: "Focus Drainage Modelling on Solutions", says Dr. Charles Rowney

2012-01-24T21:31:00.000-08:00

Click here to view full-size image

From Theory to Interpretation

The graphic shown above is a synthesis that comprises eleven steps that cascade down from a theory to interpretation of results. Dr. Charles Rowney, Engineering Applications Authority for the "Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO", has coined this mind-map as the Uncertainty Cascade:

Theory
Conceptual Model
Mathematical Model
Solution Algorithm
Code
Adjusted Algorithm
Executable
Site Representation
Calibration
Case Representation
Interpretation

“There is a preoccupation with theory, but the heavy lifting takes place in the last four steps. We need to keep our focus on SOLUTIONS on the ground," emphasizes Dr. Rowney.

From Theory to Interpretation: "We start with a theory, we develop a conceptual model of that theory and how things work. Next, we come up with a mathematical model that describes that concept, and we create a solution algorithm. We write some computer code, we adjust that because the code never really does what we want it to, and we come up with an executable.”

"Then we start to represent the site and start putting all our data together. We calibrate and adjust our model with the data. Then we start to think about how we will look at our future case. And finally we start to interpret our results."

"Much of the discussion and arguments are about the theory and model. You will hear these kinds of statements: I have a model that does this or does that; I can do a pipe this big or that big; I can do this kind of thing, I can do that kind of thing. Yet the heavy lifting is at the other end."

"The real problems and solutions come together when you look at the site and the data you have to represent what you have. How do you compare the future condition that is very undefined with a calibrated tool that is very well defined? There is much that we do that has a place and purpose, BUT sometimes what we do is questionable."

Focus on Solutions: "We have learned that we really need to look at things from the point of view of the solution. As we have been working on the WBM, we have been orienting it to THE SOLUTION. We are keeping it as simple as possible, but no simpler. The tool has to be consistent, inexpensive, and workable with limited data. It has to fit the local context, and it has to evolve as we learn.

"What is it that we really want to solve? Where are we driving this? We have ample horsepower to pick just about any theory we want and put it inside the WBM. But what we really need to focus on is: what are the solutions that are really necessary. Once we have figured out the solution that we need, we need to come up with tools that do that and no more and no less.”

"An outcome that we are pushing for is the ability to interpret results, and the ability to represent the cases that we are actually trying to solve.”

Bridge between Scales of Need: "There are two levels of thinking. At one level is the broad scale of planning where we look at how and where we might wish to go tomorrow - for example, how should we view the watershed and what might we do to protect receiving waters. And at the other level is the need to eventually put something on or in the ground."

"We need to bridge those two kinds of needs. With the WBM, we have a tool on a platform that is designed to do just that. As we go forward with model development, we need to know more and more about that polarity. At one end, it is about where are we going to take this tool. At the other end, lot by lot by lot, it is about how we put things in the ground to ensure they work."

"What we have learned is that we really need to take a look at this from the point of view of the solution. As we have been working on the WBM, we only go as complicated as is necessary. We strive to make the tool as simple as possible, but no simpler. It has to be consistent, cheap and workable with limited data. It has to fit the local context; and it has to evolve because we are not at the end point today. The WBM will continue to grow and adapt over time," concluded Dr. Rowney.

Dr. Charles Rowney at the 2011 Water Balance Model Partners Forum

Fraser Basin Council publishes "A Guide to Water and Watershed Planning for BC Communities"

2012-01-18T06:39:00.000-08:00

Rethinking Our Water Ways

In October 2011, the Fraser Basin Council released Rethinking Our Water Ways – A Guide to Water and Watershed Planning for BC Communities in the Face of Climate Change and Other Challenges; and is rolling out the Guide at workshops around the province. Workshop venues include Salmon Arm, 100 Mile House, Prince George, Chilliwack and New Westminster (January 18)

“Do you or your organization have responsibilities in the planning and management of watersheds or water resources in British Columbia? Would you like to know more about current water-related challenges and opportunities?”, states Steve Litke, Senior Program Manager.

“Rethinking Our Water Ways has been developed to help planners, decision makers and communities strengthen their capacity to look after healthy watersheds and water resources.”

“The guide offers a primer on 10 different types of water and watershed planning processes that are available in BC to manage water supply and demand; protect drinking water quality; and better integrate water, land and watersheds. The guide provides an overview of the water-related impacts of a changing climate in BC and it offers suggestions on how these impacts can be addressed through planning. The guide also shares experiences, lessons learned and information resources from water leaders, champions and practitioners from across British Columbia.”

TO LEARN MORE: To download a copy and/or access the web version, click on Rethinking Our Water Ways. For more information, phone Steve Litke at 604-488-5358; or email him at slitke@fraserbasin.bc.ca.

An integrated approach to watershed planning considers the interactions between the biophysical, constructed and human landscapes within a watershed. An integrated approach recognizes the interdependencies in both natural and human systems. Integrated watershed planning provides a means for coordinating decisions among government and private agencies in order to resolve land use and resource managment conflicts and issues. More recently, the terms "water-centric planning", "design with nature", and the "soft path" approach have been used in BC to discuss and promote the concepts embedded in integrated watershed management.

CONVENING FOR ACTION ON VANCOUVER ISLAND:

In a chapter titled Learning from Experience, the Guide provides a synthesis of several relevant issues or themes to consider in relation to water and watershed planning. A featured case study that illustrates leadership at a regional scale is CAVI-Convening for Action on Vancouver Island.

The Guide describes CAVI as “an exciting initiative that ….. uses the informal process of collaboration to build capacity and a network of like-minded individuals across Vancouver Island so these individuals can harness the tools of local government to bring about positive change in local watersheds.”

“At the heart of the initiative is the concept of water-centric planning. Through education and awareness-building initiatives, CAVI demonstrates how water-centric approaches and specific tools can be integrated into existing planning processes.”

“Since its launch in September 2006, CAVI has witnessed considerable success in getting its message out.”

“On Vancouver Island, local governments are demonstrating what can be accomplished through partnerships and collaboration. Success in moving from awareness to action is ultimately keyed to a regional team approach that is founded on the notion of shared responsibility,” the Guide quotes John Finnie, CAVI Past-Chair and General Manager for Regional and Community Utilities with the Regional District of Nanaimo.

E-Blast #2012-02

January 18, 2012

Ian McHarg: Champion for Design with Nature

2012-01-02T17:17:00.002-08:00

Green, Heal and Restore the Earth

Renowned landscape architect and educator Ian L. McHarg was best known for introducing environmental concerns in landscape architecture. He was also instrumental in founding the original "Earth Week" in 1970. Ian McHarg died in 2001.

McHarg's book Design With Nature is widely considered one of the most important and influential works of its kind. It has sold more than 155,000 copies and remains one of the most widely used textbooks on landscape architecture and architecture in the United States. His premise is simple: "that the shaping of land for human use ought to be based on an understanding of natural process." The ecological planning method developed by him to apply this theory was seized upon and used throughout the world.

McHarg insisted we look at the many aspects of the entire system we are designing when building streets, structures, and cities. That instead of having the hubris to fight against natural forces, to rather design in harmony with them. And he showed how to do this, with modern tools, analytic overlays, GIS mapping, and a fact-based approach.

"For me, the great dream would be, if by the remaining years of this century...the nation and the world concluded there should be a global and national ecological inventory...all of us address ourself to greening, healing and restoring the earth," stated Ian McHarg in his acceptance speech when he received the President's Award at the 1997 Esri User Conference.

TO LEARN MORE, WATCH THE VIDEO: During his acceptance speech, Ian McHarg reminisced with typical humor about his seminal discoveries of overlays and chronology, the challenges of environmental planning, and the role that GIS can play. To watch him speak, click on Video of Ian McHarg at the Esri User Conference in 1997.

Designing with Nature in British Columbia

2012-01-02T17:17:00.001-08:00

Hierarchy of 'Green' Vocabulary

"British Columbia communities enjoy many natural amenities that are in the resources bank and producing returns. Lakes, streams, sea coast, forests, topography, flora and fauna are assets," wrote Tim Pringle in an article titled President's Perspective: 'Design with Nature' Starts With Water Sustainability. Tim Pringle is President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.

"These assets enable communities to draw on nature for infrastructure services needed for the built environment. By designing with nature, as it were, communities lessen and sometimes avoid the expense of engineering and building various kinds of infrastructure."

To develop a common understanding plus help advance a new way-of-thinking about land development, the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia developed the following hierarchy of ‘green' vocabulary:

Green Value means land use strategies will accommodate settlement needs in practical ways while protecting the ecological resources upon which communities depend.
Design with Nature is one approach to achieve Green Value, and is supportive of community goals that relate to building social capacity.
Green Infrastructure is the on-the-ground application of Design with Nature standards and practices.
Water Sustainability is achieved through Green Infrastructure practices that reflect a full and proper understanding of the relationship between land and water.

This cascading vocabulary was unveiled at the Creating Our Future Workshop that was held in conjunction with the Gaining Ground Summit in Victoria in June 2007.

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on Designing with Nature in British Columbia. For more information about what is happening in British Columbia in the local government setting, also click on "Design with Nature" philosophy guides Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia

Tim Pringle explains what "Settlement Change in Balance with Ecology" means

2012-01-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

How does a community weigh the benefits and liabilities of change driven by demand for land?

"Settlement and ecology are equal values and they must be as much in balance as possible for wellbeing of human and natural systems. Settlement is human actitivity of any kind upon the land. It is habitation. Ecology is natural systems. It is water, climate, flora and fauna...and their relationships," states Tim Pringle, President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.

"While we are very good at measuring settlement, mainly in financial terms, we have not been that effective in quantifying the ecological impacts. This disconnect in measuring what matters has historically resulted in an unbalanced approach when making development and infrastructure decisions."

“The principle of balancing settlement change and ecology helps clarify the relationships that exist among the players (practitioners), politicians, regional and local planners, First Nations communities, agriculturalists, resorts, water districts, businesses and residential property owners.”

"Through outreach and education, the Convening for Action vision is to influence land and water practitioners to learn about and use practices that better balance the necessary relationships of settlement activity and ecological assets in local and regional landscapes,” concludes Tim Pringle.

TO LEARN MORE: To read an article by Tim Pringle that elaborates on the above statements, click on How does a community weigh the benefits and liabilities of change driven by demand for land use?

Volume-Based Hydrology explained by Andy Reese

2011-12-31T17:48:00.000-08:00

Examining the shift in focus from peak flows and pollution treatment to mimicking predevelopment volumes

Andy Reese, writing in the September 2009 issue of Stormwater magazine, states that "every 20 years or so, urban stormwater practitioners seem to stop and take stock of how we are doing". He explains that:

Sixty years ago, we figured that efficient drainage was the way to do things, using separate stormwater systems of pipes.
Forty years ago, we figured out that efficient drainage was causing flooding problems and switched to a detention design standard.
Twenty years ago, we found that detention ponds were failing for a number of reasons and switched to a more comprehensive master planning approach.

"We are now facing another sea change in thinking that is reaching 'pandemic' proportions," observes Andy Reese. "Recent discussion by stormwater opinion leaders is now pointing to a convergence on what we will call volume-based hydrology (VBH) and movement away from the peak-flow-based version."

"For various and often good reasons, there is a growing awareness of the need to handle stormwater and runoff with more focus on volume as a basis for design and decision making. It is making its way into America’s midsection and widely into the minds of regulators—federal, state, and local."

"The shift toward VBH is a good thing, and making the shift carefully and gracefully will help ensure its long-term effectiveness," concludes Andy Reese. His references include Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia.

About the Author: Andrew (Andy) J. Reese has published over fifty articles and has co-authored (with Tom Debo) a best-selling 1400 page textbook on Municipal Stormwater Management. He has worked in all fifty states in a wide variety of assignments from highly technical modeling and criteria development to stakeholder group facilitation and stormwater utility implementation.

Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Handbook Series published by United States Environmental Protection Agency

2011-12-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

"How to" manuals for municipal implementation

Written from the American perspective, the Municipal Handbook is a series of documents published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 2008 - 2009 to help local officials implement green infrastructure in their communities.

Handbook topics cover issues such as financing, operation and maintenance, incentives, designs, codes & ordinances, and a variety of other subjects. The handbook documents are intended to serve as "how to" manuals on these topics, written primarily from the standpoint of municipal implementation.

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Handbook Series published by United States Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information about the way the USEPA is approaching integration of rainwater and stormwater management with infrastructure solutions, click on this link to the USEPA's Green Infrastructure Homepage.

Evolution of Sustainable Urban Drainage in Malmo, Sweden

2011-12-31T08:11:00.000-08:00

Transition from Traditional to Sustainable is a Long Process

Published in the fall of 2008, the book Blue-green Fingerprints in the City of Malmö, Sweden by Peter Stahre describes Malmö's transition from a traditional urban drainage in buried pipes towards a sustainable urban drainage in open systems. The book describes 18 different sustainable urban drainage projects in Malmö.

Today multi-functional regional eco-corridors are in focus. One reason for the increasing interest in this in Malmö is that this type of facility has a bigger drainage capacity than traditionally buried pipe systems and therefore can be one way of meeting the effects of a climate change.

"The concept of sustainable urban drainage was introduced in the city of Malmö already in the late 1980s. Over the two decades the new drainage concept has been applied in Malmö, the technique has gradually been developed and further refined. This applies both to the physical planning and to the preferences regarding the technical configuration," wrote the late Peter Stahre when his book was published.

"The intention with this book is to describe Malmö’s transition from a traditional urban drainage in buried pipes towards a sustainable urban drainage in open systems. The transition that took 5–10 years was not problem-free. Many barriers and obstacles had to be overcome on the way. Most of these were of institutional nature. One important factor for a successful result was the trustful and prestige-less cooperation that gradually developed between the top management of the technical departments, especially between the managers of Malmö Water and the department of Parks and City environment."

"The idea to compile this book came up during discussions I had in 2006 with my friend Tom Liptan, Portland OR. We both share the experiences that the way towards a sustainable urban drainage is not always so easy and that it often takes unexpectedly long time."

TO LEARN MORE: To download a copy of Peter Stahre's book, click here. Peter Stahre was an internationally known expert and teacher in the field of "sustainable urban drainage". To read a tribute to Peter Stahre by the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, click here.

Stormwater Detention: Ten proven ways to cheat

2011-12-30T21:47:00.000-08:00

What do you want the calculations to say?

"Have you ever felt that justifying your detention design to a reviewing agency was a game of numbers? Do you have ways of making that marginal design look like a winner? Most engineers do," wrote Glenn E. Brooks in the September 2007 issue of Stormwater magazine. He is the County Engineer with Albermarle County, Virginia.

"After all, hydrology is a science of guessing the future, and it has been shown time and again that the accuracy of these guesses can be very poor. Then, there is often doubt whether small site facilities actually provide a net benefit over a large regional watershed. These points, and others, provide more than enough leeway to be flexible with the numbers."

"More than ever, it should be evident that having a result in mind can be a significant bias in any calculation. The savvy engineer is not always facetious when asking, 'What do you want the calculation to say?' And the answer depends largely on whose side you represent: the developer’s, the regulator’s, the future owner’s, or the downstream neighbor’s," concludes Glenn E. Brooks.

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story as published in Stormwater magazine, click on Stormwater Detention: Ten proven ways to cheat. Glenn E. Brooks has a website that provides software for civil engineering. They are offered as freeware. To access his site, click here.

Acknowledgement: Before STORMWATER, The Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals, there was no single publication written specifically for the professional involved with surface water quality issues, protection, projects, and programs.

VIDEO: "DOE drainage standards will not protect Puget Sound”, according to Tom Holz

2011-12-30T19:54:00.000-08:00

Puget Sound is on a Track to Die Following the Next Wave of Development

In March 2011, the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners requested a seminar by Tom Holz on “Why DOE drainage standards will not protect Puget Sound”. The seminar described how low impact development is the only path to protect the Sound. Formerly with the City of Olympia, Tom Holz is well-known in Washington State for his tireless efforts in leading change in the field of rainwater management and green infrastructure.

According to Tom Holz, "The Department of Ecology apears to be on a path to continue using the same standard for development for the next five to eight years that has been used for the last decade. DOE calls it the 'flow-duration' standard. It more accurately should be described as the 0/100/100 standard. That is, DOE will require '0%' forest set-aside, will allow '100%' hardened surfaces, and will allow '100%' runoff of precipitation falling on a site."

"As almost everyone knows, healthy streams are found in watersheds that are 100% forested. Stream channels begin to destabilize following the clearing of about one-third of its watershed. Thus DOE will allow development that will result in exactly the opposite of a healthy watershed," concludes Tom Holz.

Zero Impact Design: In the late 1990s, Tom Holz coined the acronym ZID - that is, Zero Impact Designs - to describe an approach that sharply reduce the “effective impervious area” of new development with practices such as eco-roofs, roof gardens, rain barrels, alternative paving surfaces, soil amendments, bioretention, reforestation, and filter-swale systems.

TO LEARN MORE: The seminar is posted on YouTube. To view Tom Holz, click on the two links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxlezjpGXSU (52 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n5nFD6x7ps (14 minutes)

The first link is about 52 minutes (fast forward to the 4.13 minute mark to get past the set up). The second link is closing and discussion with decision makers and public. "It's a bit dry so make a bowl of popcorn," recommends Tom Holz.

Slow It. Spread It. Sink It! - A Homeowner's and Landowner's Guide to Beneficial Stormwater Management

2011-12-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

Rainwater is an Important Natural Resource

Published by the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Program (north of San Francisco, California), this guidebook is intended to help landowners and homeowners make the most of the many potential benefits of innovative stormwater management. Once thought of as a nuisance, rainwater/stormwater is now universally recognized as one our most important natural resources and proper management (simple to complex) is more important than ever. To download a copy from the Southern Sonoma County website, click here.

Guidebook Content: The guide is packed full of information, including:

Understanding and evaluating rainwater/stormwater runoff around the home or property
How to protect property and increase its value
"Do it yourself" techniques
A wide assortment of sample rainwater/stormwater Best Management Practices
Technical information and advice on rainwater harvesting and infiltration techniques
Guidance on designing and implementing large-scale projects
A broad sampling of local projects implemented in Sonoma County
Safety and maintenance requirements
An extensive resource guide to help readers quickly locate key information and get started

Traditional building and landscaping practices were designed to dispose of rainwater and stormwater as quickly as possible. This outdated paradigm typically results in significant damage to land, structures, and the surrounding environment. Slowing down, spreading and sinking stormwater can help protect property and increase its value, provide a free source of water for irrigation, conserve drinking water, beautify your landscape, promote groundwater recharge and much more!

Questions about porous pavement answered by Bruce Ferguson, the man who wrote the book

2011-12-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

Questions and Answers

In an article published in the September 2009 issue of Stormwater Magazine, Bruce Ferguson wrote that since 2005, he has saved 230 files of porous pavement questions conveyed in e-mails, telephone calls, and conference question-and-answer sessions.

"This article summarizes the questions that I have received most commonly over the years. My answers to them are based on 12 years of research and experience in the field, including surveying research reports, interviews with national experts, and firsthand observations in the field."

"There is a huge amount of knowledge about porous pavements now, and it is continuing to grow rapidly. The questions reported here are what people most frequently say they need to know."

To read the online version of the article, click on Porous Pavements Q&A; and to download a copy, click here.

About Bruce Ferguson: He is the Franklin Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Georgia. He is the author of the 2005 book Porous Pavements. He has specialized in urban environmental design for 25 years. Ferguson’s 1994 book Stormwater Infiltration is considered a landmark in the integration of urban development with natural watershed processes. His 1998 book Introduction to Stormwater is the most frequently referenced book in the field.

In 2005 Ferguson completed the first comprehensive guide to porous pavements, which have been called “the holy grail of environmental site design” and “potentially the biggest development in urban watersheds since the invention of the automobile.”

Ferguson’s eight years of research for the book included a firsthand survey of 280 installations of all kinds of porous pavements, in all parts of North America. Since publication of the book, he has been asked to speak and consult as often as twice a month in every region of North America, educating multidisciplinary practitioners and guiding the design and approval of new porous pavement installations.

Brock Dolman fosters "watershed moments" for hundreds

2011-12-28T17:46:00.000-08:00

Seminar Program Promotes Collective Action

Brock Dolman is a watershed poet and advocate, though he didn't set out to be either. After studying biology and environmental studies at University of California Santa Cruz, Dolman was working with endangered species when he experienced his "watershed moment."

Today, as the director of the WATER Institute at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center in Sonoma County, Dolman fosters watershed moments for the hundreds who attend his lectures or workshops each year. In October 2010, for example, he was the keynote speaker for the From Rain to Resources Workshop hosted by the Okanagan Basin Water Board in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Brock Dolman gives 50 to 60 talks a year to groups ranging from the Audubon Society to the Rotary Club, where he attempts to increase understanding of how water moves through urban and rural landscapes and how humans can participate wisely in its course.

Dolman and his co-workers teach workshops on how to install rain gardens and roof water harvesting systems, how to reduce sediment flow into creeks and rivers (which compromises fish habitat while washing valuable topsoil downstream) and how to mend eroding waterways. The Water Institute's signature four-day "Basins of Relations" seminar promotes collective action.

To read the complete story as written by Deborah K. Rich and published online by the San Francisco Chronicle, click here.

Think Like a Watershed: At the British Columbia workshop, Brock Dolman’s keynote presentation was titled Basins of Relations: Thinking Like a Watershed. He offered interpretation about water, watersheds, human development patterns and restoration.

Brock Dolman discussed rainwater harvesting as a strategy of water conservation from roofs to the broader landscape. He expanded on ideas of “Conservation Hydrology” and Low Impact Development, which emphasize the need in many areas for human development designs to move from drainage to retainage.

He also offered ideas on practices that spread, slow and sink rainwater on site rather than land use practices that, by design, capture and convey excess volumes of rainwater and stormwater off-site.

To access the set of stories posted on the homepage for the From Rain to Resource Workshop, click here.

Evolution of Stormwater Management in Atlanta, Georgia

2011-12-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

Identify and Deal with Obstacles

Published by Stormwater Magazine in 2007. a 3-part series of articles focused on causes, effects, and remedies leading to the establishment and refinement of administrative procedures, professional trust, proactive approaches, and the elimination of plan implementation obstacles in the Atlanta, Georgia region. Titled the Evolution of Stormwater Management:

"Minimum compliance is no longer the standard, and stormwater is no longer an afterthought for community planning," wrote Dave Briglio, series author and Principal Engineer at AMEC. "As a community, we must pool our resources to help enable a positive return on our endeavors. The goal is not only to continually improve the protection and restoration of our streams and watershed but also to improve the process."

Part 1 of the series discussed issues ranging from floodplains to best management practices, to stream buffers and field inventories, to professional rights and responsibilities. Part 2 addressed challenges associated with innovative applications of accepted methodologies and who has (or wants) the responsibility and authority to deem which application should be allowed—and when.

Part 3 highlighted the Etowah Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), a watershed program that supports the Endangered Species Act for the one of the most aquatically diverse watersheds in the United States. "The HCP shows that progress can be made and success gleaned by identifying and dealing with obstacles," concluded Dave Briglio.

The Etowah Basin lies on the north edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The suburban counties that comprise the lower portion of the system have been among the fastest growing counties in the United States over the last decade. In 1998, one of them (Forsyth County) was ranked as the fastest-growing county nationwide. Over the course of the 1990s the Atlanta metropolitan area added more people than any other region in the United States except Los Angeles.

Pathway to Urban Water Sustainability in British Columbia: Partnerships, Collaboration, Innovation and Integration

2011-12-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

ESE Magazine publishes article about BC's Water Sustainability Action Plan

The January 2010 issue of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine includes an article about the policy framework put in place by the Province of British Columbia that enables local governments to commit to doing business differently.

The article states that the program goals for Living Water Smart, BC’s Water Plan and the companion Green Communities Initiative constitute a ‘call to action’ on the part of British Columbians to manage settlement change in balance with ecology.

The article describes how implementation of Living Water Smart and the Green Communities Initiative is being advanced through partnerships, in particular the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia. One vehicle for program delivery is Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, known by the acronym CAVI.

Water issues are complex and best solved collaboratively, which include using strategies and solutions that fall outside government control. While legislative reform is a foundation piece, collaboration takes place in the world of practitioners.

"We have engaged in a conversational process to create a picture of what a shared vision for Vancouver Island could look like. We have also drawn attention to the need to balance settlement change in harmony with ecology. Although ecology can exist without habitation by humans, human habitation cannot exist without ecology,” states Eric Bonham, a founding member of the CAVI Leadership Team, and a former Director in both the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Municipal Affairs.

TO LEARN MORE: The article was written by Kim Stephens, Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia. The Partnership has responsibility for Action Plan delivery. The article draws on the perspectives of:

Lynn Kriwoken - Director, Ministry of Environment
Glen Brown - Executive Director, Ministry of Community & Rural Development
Tim Pringle - former Special Programs Director, Real Estate Foundation of BC

To download a copy of the article, click on Pathway to Urban Water Sustainability in British Columbia. Co-sponsored by the Province and the Real Estate Foundation, the Action Plan serves as a partnership umbrella for aligning actions at three scales: provincial, regional and local.

"Beyond the Guidebook 2010" is showcased on Province's Living Water Smart website

2011-12-23T22:05:00.002-08:00

Preparing BC's Communities for Change

The following story about 'Beyond the Guidebook 2010' is reproduced from Living Water Smart, the website for British Columbia's Water Plan. Implementation of Living Water Smart is a provincial government priority that involves 11 ministries and many water and land managers and users. Some projects are complete, or will have a short life of two to three years, while other commitments will be implemented over a much longer time period.

Implementing A New Culture
Water plays a huge role in shaping our communities. We need safe drinking water, water for homes and businesses, and to keep our environment healthy. We also need protection from floods. Actions in Living Water Smart will help communities adapt to climate change by designing our communities to live in harmony with water.

By living water smart, we can save water, energy, fuel, and money. By working with, rather than against nature, communities and developments will capture and use rain, treat or reuse wastewater, provide cool green spaces for urban relaxation, and reduce our energy needs. If we adopt these changes, communities will be more resilient to climate change and provide a higher quality of life.

Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia connects the dots between RAINwater Management and Drought Management and shows how to achieve water sustainability through outcome-oriented urban watershed plans. Beyond the Guidebook 2010 is the ‘telling of the stories’ of how change is being implemented on the ground in BC. These stories demonstrate that the practitioner and community culture is changing as an outcome of collaboration and partnerships.

TO LEARN MORE: To access the Beyond the Guidebook 2010 homepage on the WaterBucket website, click here.

Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Road Map for Moving from Awareness to Action in BC to Protect Watershed Health

2011-12-23T22:05:00.001-08:00

Creating Our Future

The Province of British Columbia has provided a ‘design with nature’ policy framework that enables local governments to build and/or rebuild communities in balance with ecology:

This is what we want to collectively and incrementally achieve over time, and this is how we will work together to get there.

The future desired by all will be created through alignment of federal, provincial, regional and local policies and actions. BC local government is among the most autonomous in Canada, and BC is perhaps the least prescriptive province. Historically, the Province has enabled local government by providing policy and legal tools in response to requests from local government. Local government can choose to act, or not.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Released in June 2010, Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia draws on BC case study experience to illustrate how success will follow when local government elected representatives, administrators and practitioners:

Choose to be enabled.
Establish high expectations.
Embrace a shared vision.
Collaborate as a ‘regional team’.
Align and integrate efforts.
Celebrate innovation.
Connect with community advocates.
Develop local government talent.
Promote shared responsibility.
Change the land ethic for the better.

The foregoing is extracted from Chapter 1 of Beyond the Guidebook 2010. To download a PDF copy of the complete extract, click on Moving from Awareness to Action in BC.

CAVI Chair John Finnie announced launch of "Beyond the Guidebook 2010" at the ‘Dialogue in Nanaimo’ in June 2010

2011-12-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

Fresh Water Sustainability is in Our Hands!

In June 2010, the ‘Dialogue in Nanaimo’ was the venue for the formal launch of Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia. John Finnie, Chair of CAVI - Convening for Action on Vancouver Island, made the announcement on behalf of the ‘convening for action’ partnership. John Finnie is General Manager, Regional and Community Utilities, with the Regional District of Nanaimo.

Sponsored by BC Hydro, and faciliated by Kathy Bishop, the Dialogue in Nanaimo was co-hosted by Leadership BC-Vancouver Island and the the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance. The key theme of the day was: "What can we do together for Vancouver Island to become a flagship model of fresh water sustainability?"

“Beyond the Guidebook 2010 describes how water sustainability can and will be achieved through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices. Getting there relies on a change in mind-set,” he stated.

“Beyond the Guidebook 2010 is outcome-oriented. When the right people with the right knowledge are involved at the right time to apply informed judgment in a collaborative process, the outcome-oriented approach saves time and money.”

“The Guidebook reference is to Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, released in 2002. Looking back, we can see that the Guidebook was a catalyst for change that has resulted in British Columbia achieving international recognition as a leader in implementing a green infrastructure approach to rainwater management," concluded John Finnie.

“It is a great resource, well written ... Down to earth, and in line with what CAVI and Action Plan speak about... The new business as usual, connecting the dots and giving useful tools and roadmaps for success. It is an easy read, and captivating with the stories, quotes and pictures,” added Kathy Bishop.

TO LEARN MORE: To view a video clip posted on YouTube that shows John Finnie making the announcement, click here.To read two stories posted on the Water Bucket website, click on the links below:

To access the homepage for Beyond the Guidebook 2010, click here.

Formal Rollout of "Beyond the Guidebook 2010" Commenced at the UBCM Annual Convention

2011-12-23T22:04:00.000-08:00

Forging Gold Medal Standards for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration

The formal rollout of Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Implementing a New Culture for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia commenced on September 27th at the 2010 annual convention of local governments, held in Whistler. The convention theme was Forging Gold Medal Standards in keeping with the Olympic spirit of the Whistler venue.

Glen Brown and Ray Fung represented the provincial and local government perspectives, respectively, in delivering an integrated presentation to a packed study session (180 attendees). They spoke on behalf of the “convening for action” partnership that is responsible for Beyond the Guidebook 2010, released under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.

To read a story posted on the Water Bucket website about their co-presentation, click on Forging Gold Medal Standards for Urban Watershed Protection and Restoration in British Columbia.

REGIONAL TEAM APPROACH: "The philosophy behind the Action Plan is quite simple: bring local and regional stakeholders together where there is a desire and energy to make some form of change," explained Glen Brown when he elaborated on the 'regional team approach'.

"As we move forward with the Action Plan, it is making sure that we provide the people on the ground with the tools and resources that they need to help support action at the local level."

"A top-down approach does not work. It is all about being bottom-up... that is to say, the regional team approach. When a community shows interest or a desire to move something forward, that is when we mobilize. The Action Plan purpose is to engage, listen, understand and support the local interests in moving forward. That is where we have been successful."

To view a 3-minute video clip of Glen Brown elaborating on the 'regional team appoach', click here.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY: Beyond the Guidebook 2010 synthesized a set of ten guiding principles that provide a framework for a successful local government implementation process. Ray Fung spoke to these principles in his part of the integrated presentation.

"There are a lot of times when we in local government like to blame or put on senior governments the responsibility to provide the framework for doing something...but there are things that we in local government can do. We need to choose to be enabled," stated Ray Fung.

"So, what we mean by shared responsibility is that everyone has a role, and everyone can act.... all levels of government, developers, regulators, bureaucrats, consultants, planners, engineers.... we all have a role."

To view a 90-second video clip of Ray Fung speaking about Guiding Principle #9, Promote Shared Responsibility, click here.

In 2005, Metro Vancouver Developed Design Guidelines to Complement the Water Balance Model

2011-12-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

Capture Rain Where It Falls

In 2005, Metro Vancouver released Stormwater Source Controls Design Guidelines 2005. This work was based on the adaptation of design standards from areas of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America with similar climatic and soil conditions. The research was commissioned by the Stormwater Inter-Agency Group (SILG) - a Metro Vancouver technical committee - to complement the Water Balance Model for British Columbia.

"The objective of this project was to reduce information barriers that previously stood in the way of effective implementation of rainwater source controls in the Georgia Basin region of British Columbia. Our focus was on the technical details of practices in landscape areas that treat rainwater through plant materials and soils by infiltration, retention, detention and evapotranspiration," stated Ed von Euw, Senior Engineer with Metro Vancouver.

The Water Balance Model Partnership had its genesis as a sub-group of SILG. By 2005, the combination of the Water Balance Model and the Design Guidelines enabled engineers, planners, landscape architects, architects, developers and builders to select, assess and implement landscape-based solutions that made sense.

"SILG provided financial support for development of the Water Balance Model because it is a tool that will enable Greater Vancouver municipalities to fulfil their commitments to integrated stormwater management planning under the regional Liquid Waste Management Plan. This is the driver for applying the water balance approach," added Ed von Euw in an article that was posted on the Water Bucket website in 2005.

In British Columbia, publication of the Design Guidelines represented an important step in simplifying the technical language so that there would be a clearer public and practitioner understanding of the suite of source control options for capturing rain where it falls.

TO LEARN MORE: The Design Guidelines include typical details, generalized specifications, and guidelines for each of the six priority source control topics:

Abosorbent Landscapes
Infiltration Swale System
Rain Garden
Pervious Paving
Green Roof
Infiltration Trench & Soakaway

To download a copy of the Design Guidelines and an accompanying set of posters, click on Metro Vancouver Develops Design Guidelines to Complement Water Balance Model to access an article posted on the Water Bucket website.

2012 Building SustainAble Communities Conference in Kelowna

2011-12-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Day Two will showcase Sustainable Water Management in British Columbia

In 2012, the Fresh Outlook Foundation is hosting the 5th edition of the Building SustainAble Communities conference. It will be held in Kelowna, BC from February 27 through March 1. The conference program was inspired by 75 experts on 11 planning committees.

“With more than 250 speakers and industry experts addressing a huge range of topics, it promises to be a must-attend event for anyone passionate about community sustainability,” reports Joanne deVries, Fresh Outlook Founder and CEO.

“There is a special day-long session devoted to sustainable water management issues. Six panel sessions will address different aspects of water and provide a broad-brush picture of the innovation that is emerging in British Columbia. The six sessions will address source water protection, water valuation & costing, sustainable wastewater management, sustainable infrastructure delivery, water efficiency & conservation, and sustainable rainwater management.”

“The Sustainable Infrastructure Delivery and Sustainable Rainwater Management sessions will set the stage for hands-on training at a companion event organized on March 1st by the Okanagan Basin Water Board: Keeping up with the Climate, Keeping up with Technology: Tools Workshop.”

TO LEARN MORE: The Building SustainAble Communities Conference program features a wide range of plenaries, breakouts, panels, forums, debates, and interactive sessions to provide opportunities for enhanced communication and collaboration. To learn more, click on Program at a Glance.

A LOOK AHEAD TO 'TOOLS WORKSHOP': If climate change mitigation is about greenhouse gases, climate change adaptation is about water. Municipalities will face unprecedented pressure on their water resources and municipal infrastructure, and adaptation is key to building healthy, sustainable communities.

"A number of tools have been created to help municipalities adapt to climate change. The Okanagan Basin Water Board will be hosting a workshop to get these tools in the hands of the people that need them by bringing in the experts to answer questions and provide hands-on training," reports Anna Warwick Sears, Executive Director.

Tools include the Water Balance Model, Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee Protocol (PIEVC), Okanagan Irrigation Management Tool, and Streamlined Water Use Reporting Tool.

Do you wonder how communities can reduce our ‘water footprint’ by ‘designing with nature’? --- The Water Balance Model is a unique web-based scenario comparison tool. Powered by the proven QUALHYMO calculation engine, the Water Balance Model bridges planning and engineering, links development sites to the stream and watershed, and helps define science-based performance targets (for runoff volume and streamflow duration).

Recently rebuilt on a Linux platform, it now has “launch buttons” at three scales: SITE, NEIGHBOURHOOD and WATERSHED. The addition of three more modules - Climate Change, Stream Erosion and Rainwater Harvesting – provides expanded capabilities. More modules will be unveiled in early 2012, including the Drainage Infrastructure Screening Tool and the Tree Canopy Module. ·

E-Blast #2011-66

December 15, 2011

Living Water Smart: British Columbia’s Water Plan

2011-12-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

A Plan for Water Sustainability

Released in June 2008, Living Water Smart,British Columbia's Water Plan is a blueprint for cultural, environmental, industrial, community and agricultural change that will help safeguard the province’s water resources into the future. Drawing on a variety of policy measures, including planning, regulatory change, education, and incentives such as economic instruments and rewards, the plan commits to new actions and builds on existing efforts to protect and keep B.C.’s water healthy and secure.

“Water defines British Columbia and it is essential to our quality of life,” stated former Environment Minister Barry Penner when he announced the release of this visionary document at Musqueam Creek in the City of Vancouver. “Living Water Smart lays out the vision and the steps needed to protect our rivers, lakes, streams and watersheds. This plan will make B.C. a leader in water stewardship, fits with our overarching strategy to protect the environment and positions us for continued success in the 21st century.”

Representatives of several organizations joined Minister Penner for the announcement, including Maureen Enser, Executive Director of the Urban Development Institute.

"The Urban Development Institute is committed to wise and efficient land use. By working collaboratively and collectively, we can apply new ideas and thinking to the way we build communities," stated Maureen Enser. "Today we are on the brink of change. This is a special moment in time. We have been looking for a clear vision for this province in terms of its water resources....now we have to work together to make sure that the plan comes to fruition. Minister, this is phenomenal. We are committing ourselves as an industry to working with government at all levels to make sure this precious resource is protected for future generations."

TO LEARN MORE: To read an article posted on the Water Balance Model community-of-interest about the June 2008 announcement by former Minister of Environment Barry Penner, click on Living Water Smart: A Plan for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.

Partnership for Water Sustainability has a role in implementing 'Living Water Smart, British Columbia's Water Plan'

2011-12-14T20:21:00.001-08:00

Choosing To Do Business Differently

Incorporated as a non-profit society, the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia had its genesis in the Water Sustainability Committee of the BC Water & Waste Association. From 2003 through 2010, that committee was the hub for a "convening for action" network that has been advancing change in a local government setting. The Partnership is now that hub.

"The Partnership vision is that water sustainability will be achieved through implementation of green infrastructure policies and practices. The Partnership mission is to facilitate change by helping the Province implement Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan and the Green Communities Initiative on the ground," states Tim Pringle, President of the Partnership.

"The Partnership is building on and continuing the work that has gone on before under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia. The Action Plan has allowed the Province to leverage partnerships to greatly enhance the profile and resulting impact of Living Water Smart since its release in 2008. The strategy for leading and implementing change is called Convening for Change in British Columbia. It is about choosing to do business differently. The Partnership has branded this as The New Business As Usual", concludes Tim Pringle.

“A provincial policy framework is now in place that enables municipalities to ‘do business differently’ in order to design their communities to live in harmony with water,” adds Lynn Kriwoken, Director, Water Protection & Sustainability Branch in the Ministry of Environment, and the Province’s lead person for delivery of Living Water Smart. “By living water smart, communities will be more prepared for climate change and their quality of life will be enhanced.”

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete article posted on the Water Bucket website, click on Partnership for Water Sustainability has a role in implementing 'Living Water Smart, British Columbia's Water Plan'.

Web-based provincial tools enable Water-Centric Planning and Living Water Smart

2011-12-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

Living Water Smart Targets and Actions

Released in June 2008, Living Water Smart, British Columbia's Water Plan provides government's vision for sustainable water stewardship. Of the 45 actions and targets in Living Water Smart, three in particular serve to establish expectations vis-à-vis how land will be developed (or redeveloped) and water will be used. These three are listed below and are cross-referenced to the three subject areas and page numbers in the Living Water Smart vision document:

Doing Business Differently: By 2012, all land and water managers will know what makes a stream healthy, and therefore be able to help land and water users factor in new approaches to securing stream health and the full range of stream benefits (page 43)
Preparing Communities for Change: By 2012, new approaches to water management will address the impacts from a changing water cycle, increased drought and risk, and other impacts on water caused by climate change (page 61)
Choosing To Be Water Smart: By 2020, 50% of new municipal water needs will be acquired through conservation (page 75)

"To make it possible to achieve Living Water Smart targets and actions, the Province has developed a suite of tools," reports Ted van der Gulik, the Senior Engineer in the Ministry of Agriculture. He has been the Province’s lead person for development of all but the Water Conservation Calculator.

“These tools are all web-based and accessible to anyone with a computer. They are intended to support new approaches to water management. They can be applied on-the-ground by land and water practitioners. Our vision is that they will collectively facilitate informed decision-making with respect to climate change adaptation.”

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket, click on Web-based provincial tools enable Water-Centric Planning and Living Water Smart. The story is excerpted from Chapter 6 of 'Beyond the Guidebook 2010', released in June 2010. To download a PDF version of the 2-page excerpt, click on Living Water Smart Actions and Targets.

Beyond the Guidebook 2010 describes how a ‘convening for action’ philosophy has taken root in British Columbia. Bringing together local government practitioners in neutral forums has enabled implementers to collaborate as regional teams. Their action-oriented focus has resulted in ‘how to do it’ examples that help decision-makers visualize what ‘design with nature’ policy goals look like on the ground.’

"Living Water Smart, British Columbia's Water Plan" encourages green choices to protect stream health

2011-12-14T20:20:00.000-08:00

A Call to Action

Released in June 2008, Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan provides a clear statement of provincial policy vis-à-vis how land will be developed and water will be used. Furthermore, the 45 actions and targets in Living Water Smart encourage ‘green choices’ that will flow through time, and will be cumulative in creating liveable communities, reducing wasteful water use, and protecting stream health.

"The Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia is aligned with Living Water Smart, and is a primary implementation interface with local government. The Action Plan program is providing engineers and planners in a local government setting with tools to effect changes in land development, infrastructure servicing and water use practices. The program is also showcasing what local government implementers are doing on the ground," states Glen Brown, the Executive Director of the Province's Local Government Infrastructure and Finance Division. He is also the Deputy Inspector of Municipalities.

Released in 2004, the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia built on the foundation provided by A Water Conservation Strategy for British Columbia, published in 1998.

TO LEARN MORE: The Action Plan was conceived as a partnership umbrella for on-the-ground initiatives that promote water stewardship across the province, and that also inform Provincial policy through shared responsibility. To learn more about the genesis of the Action Plan, click on Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia: Framework for Building Partnerships to read an article posted on the Water Bucket website.

Peeling Back the Pavement: A Blueprint for Reinventing Rainwater Management in Canada’s Communities

2011-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

From Stormwater City to Rainwater City

On October 26, the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance in partnership with the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Centre released Peeling Back the Pavement: A Blueprint for Reinventing Rainwater Management in Canada’s Communities. This is the latest instalment in the POLIS water sustainability handbook series for decision makers, policy analysts, community leaders, and water managers. To download a copy from the POLIS website, click here.

Co-authored by Susanne Porter-Bopp, Oliver M. Brandes, and Calvin Sandborn, Peeling Back the Pavement outlines the perceived problems with conventional stormwater management and examines potential solutions for moving toward sustainability. The document provides a lay person's perspective on what it means to transition from the notion of a "Stormwater City" to one that is described as "Rainwater City". To this end, the document provides a broad-brush picture of current and possible future approaches in order to stimulate a Canada-wide discussion.

“Rethinking the way we deal with rain and snowmelt in our cities means replacing conventional pipe-and-convey systems with an approach that recognizes rainwater as a valuable resource while, at the same time, reducing runoff volume and improving runoff quality,” states Oliver Brandes, co-author and POLIS Co-Director. “Peeling Back the Pavement provides a comprehensive action plan outlining the crucial steps necessary for changing the way communities govern stormwater. The blueprint describes measures that local and senior levels of government can take to move from the current system of stormwater management to one based on rainwater management.”

“The handbook is alive with examples and case studies demonstrating leading practice and on-the-ground results from across Canada and beyond. A main focus of the handbook is the fragmented responsibility for fresh water across and within jurisdictions—one of the greatest challenges to reinventing rainwater management in Canada,” emphasizes Oliver Brandes.

WHAT'S THE GOAL: To obtain an understanding of why and how the approach to rainwater management in British Columbia differs from that in the United States and elsewhere in Canada, click on Rainwater Management in a Watershed Context - What's the Goal? to access an article published by Stormwater Magazine.

"The approach we have taken in British Columbia differs due to the nature of the root problems being solved. The critical issue in British Columbia is the damage and loss of habitat caused by development and erosion of the headwater streams," states Jim Dumont, article co-author and Engineering Applications Authority for the BC-based Water Balance Model Partnership.

"While land use and infrastructure professionals are using a similar vocabulary on both sides of the border, our goals appear different. The apparent divergence has significant implications for rainwater management in a watershed context," adds Kim Stephens, article co-author and Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.

TO LEARN MORE: The POLIS Water Sustainability Project (WSP) team believes that making headway on a more progressive approach to rainwater management requires dealing with the thorny and complex problems associated with governance. An integrated watershed-based approach offers significant opportunity to create truly sustainable communities that can protect the natural water cycle now and into the future.

The inspiration for "Peeling Back the Pavement" was a report titled Re-Inventing Rainwater Management: A Strategy to Protect Health and Restore Resources in the Capital Region, Released by the Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Victoria in February 2010, "the report describes the environmental and stream health problems in the Capital Region that are the legacy of an obsolete 19th century stormwater management system—a system that fails to respect natural systems and water cycles," according to Calvin Sandborn. "Re-Inventing Rainwater Management documents how 'green' rainwater management has now been adopted by engineers, developers, planners and governments across North America."

The resource was launched as part of the WSP’s Creating a Blue Dialogue webinar series. Guest speakers included lead author Susanne Porter-Bopp and Patrick Lucey, aquatic ecologist. In this webinar, the guest speakers discuss the need for a new paradigm of rainwater management in Canada’s urban environments and outline positive policies and initiatives already underway in communities across the country and beyond. To view a recording of the webinar, click here.

Electronic copies of Peeling Back the Pavement: A Blueprint for Reinventing Rainwater Management in Canada’s Communities are available for download on the WSP website. For further information contact Laura Brandes at communications@polisproject.org.

E-Blast #2011-65

December 13, 2011

Green Infrastructure Partnership organized consultation workshops in Metro Vancouver to launch provincial initiative

2011-12-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

Convening for Action in British Columbia

The Green Infrastructure Partnership encourages implementation of a 'design with nature' approach to community planning and land (re)development, and places emphasis on educating stakeholders regarding the benefits by holding information sharing sessions and by developing guides on practice. In 2004-2005, the Partnership organized two Consultation Workshops within a 12-month period.

The first, in May 2004, was organized from the practitioner perspective.
The second, in May 2005, was organized from a local government manager perspective.

2004 Practitioners Workshop introduced the Green Infrastructure Partnership to a selected provincial audience. It also provided the opportunity to test and validate the direction in which the Partnership was heading. Participants included pioneer practitioners and/or advocates of emerging green infrastructure practices. The primary purpose of the 2004 consultation was to explore the diversity of issues and difficulties inherent in defining and implementing a green infrastructure approach to land development.

Workshop outcomes are documented in the Report on the Green Infrastructure Consultation Held on May 11, 2004 in Vancouver . Section 4 of the report summarizes the event outcomes and provides a frame-of-reference for the 2005 Workshop. .

2005 REAC Workshop was conducted under the umbrella and work plan of the provincial Convening for Action initiative. The workshop was designed to engage the Regional Engineers Advisory Committee (REAC) of Metro Vancouver municipalities:

Inform REAC participants regarding the over-arching Convening for Action process.
Obtain feedback and input from participants regarding content and delivery of the Partnership's work plan.

The REAC Workshop outcomes are documented in the report titled The Green Infrastructure Partnership: Convening for Action in British Columbia (July 2005 Progress Report).

Genesis for Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation Program in British Columbia

2011-12-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

2005 Metro Vancouver Consultation Workshop

In May 2005, the Green Infrastructure Partnership conducted a Consultation Workshop in collaboration with the Regional Engineers Advisory Committee of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. Hosted by the City of Surrey, workshop participants included senior managers in local government. Ten Metro Vancouver municipalities participated.

“Achieving higher levels of ecological systems protection and overall environmental well-being is being successfully pursued through changes to existing land use regulations, design guidelines and construction standards”, observed Paul Ham, General Manager, Engineering, City of Surrey and the Chair of the Partnership, when announcing the May 2005 Workshop.

Titled How Can You Help Us Help You Help Us?, the workshop was organized in three parts:

HELP US through Roundtable Sharing: Who is Doing What and What has Worked (or Not)?
HELP YOU through an understanding of Leading and Managing Change.
HELP US through Roundtable Input: What should the proposed Green Infrastructure Communication Guides look like?

The workshop gave participants an opportunity to share their successes and discuss the challenges they faced and dealt with in achieving on the ground green infrastructure results in their communities. The atmosphere was upbeat with participants enthusiastically stressing that the number of success stories is growing. A key message was: To bring about changes in infrastructure practices and standards, it comes down to individuals innovating and taking great personal risk. Also, the consensus was to make outreach and practitioner education the #1 priority.

“The discussion underscored that there is critical mass for moving forward with an interactive and proactive approach to communication of the design with nature vision; and that this can be achieved through an array of educational tools that can inform change”, states Kim Stephens, speaking on behalf of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia.

The "Celebrating Green Infrastructure Program" was a consultation outcome. Launched in 2006, this program created opportunities to network and share "how to do it" experiences on the ground. The program was designed for engineering, planning, land development, operations, and environmental departments in Greater Vancouver municipalities.

To Learn More: The work plan flowing from the consultation workshop is laid out in a comprehensive reference document titled The Green Infrastructure Partnership: Convening for Action in British Columbia (July 2005 Progress Report). This report has historical significance because it has shaped the approach to implementation of the "Convening for Action in British Columbia" initiative over the years.

To download a summary report about the first series in the Celebrating Green Infrastructure Program, click here. To access the homepage established on the Water Bucket website for the series, click here.

Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in the District of North Vancouver - May 2006

2011-12-10T17:59:00.001-08:00

Projects at Three Scales

When the District of North Vancouver hosted the first event in the 2006 Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver Series, three projects were featured - a lane, a highway and a local community.

Lower Capilano Lane – Selection of porous pavement to infiltrate rainwater runoff was an outcome of an inter-departmental design charrette where the Water Balance Model was a key decision tool.
Dollarton Highway – Initiated almost a decade ago, the highway design integrated a pioneer application of rainwater infiltration.
Maplewood Flats – As redevelopment proceeds, the complete and compact residential area will complement an eco-industrial networking area founded on green infrastructure principles & practices.

To read the complete story about the program for Showcasing Innovation in the District of North Vancouver, click on First in 2006 series under the umbrella of the Celebrating Green Infrastructure Program.

Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in the City of Surrey - June 2006

2011-12-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

Walking the Sustainability Talk

The City of Surrey believes it is ‘walking the sustainability talk’ and is demonstrating regional leadership by proactively implementing a 'design with nature' approach to green infrastructure practices. The Showcasing Innovation Series therefore created a timely opportunity for the City to share the lessons learned from these three projects:

EAST CLAYTON SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY – This project set the pace regionally by demonstrating how to move from talk to action in implementing smart development principles and practices.
CAMPBELL HEIGHTS INDUSTRIAL AREA – Through innovative design and landscaping requirements enforced through restrictive covenants, this project is demonstrating substantial progress in meeting watershed objectives.
FERGUS WATERSHED – Building on lessons learned from the East Clayton experience, the City is developing an on-the-ground action plan for watershed protection and restoration over the next 50 years.

To read the complete story about the program content for Showcasing Innovation in the City of Surrey, click on Second in 2006 series under umbrella of the Celebrating Green Infrastructure Program.

Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in Vancouver and at the University of British Columbia - September 2006

2011-12-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

Greening Local Roadways

The CIty of Vancouver and the University of British Columbi co-hosted the third event in the 2006 Showcasing Green Infratstructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver Series. The unifying theme was "Greening Local Roadways - Integration of Rainwater Management & Transportation Design". Four projects were featured:

Crown Street & Country Lanes: Exceeding Expectations – Crown Street, Vancouver's first environmentally sustainable roadway, reflects a ‘design with nature' approach to integrating rainwater runoff management and transportation design to achieve multiple objectives on a suburban street.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car: Power to Spare! – The Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program (VFCVP) demonstrates the use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies as an alternative to gasoline. The purpose of the program is test the technology in real-world conditions and to show how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced. This is a 3-year project.
Sustainability Street Project at UBC: Beyond the Moment – Breaking new ground at UBC, the initial phase focuses on revolutionary closed-loop systems - the world's first systems integrating rainwater runoff, wastewater treatment and ground source heating, and a small-scale biodiesel production unit which will transform waste cooking oil into a clean-burning fuel.

To read the complete story about the program content for Showcasing Innovation in the City of Vancouver and at UBC, click on Third in 2006 series under the umbrella of the Celebrating Green Infrastructure Program.

Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia releases “Primer on Urban Watershed Modelling to Inform Local Government Decision Processes”

2011-12-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

Integrating the Site with the Watershed and the Stream

ln 2002, the Province released Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia. The Guidebook introduced a number of concepts, including the Modelling Hierarchy. Building on the Guidebook foundation, the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia has released the Primer on Urban Watershed Modelling to Inform Local Government Decision Processes.

“The Modelling Hierarchy is about ‘appropriate and affordable’ computer modelling. To help local governments, the Guidebook articulated a guiding principle that the level and/or detail of modeling should reflect the information needed to make informed decisions,” states Jim Dumont, Engineering Applications Authority for the Water Balance Model Partnership.

“By addressing what appropriate and affordable should mean in practice, the Primer deals with two separate dimensions of an Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP). The first is the Watershed itself, where the focus is on the relationship between rainfall and resulting flow rates in streams. The second is the storm drainage system, where the focus is on infrastructure and the level of service.”

“The Primer provides guidance in three areas: setting performance targets, defining levels-of-service, and application of screening / scenario tools. In 2012, the Drainage Infrastructure Screening Tool will be available as a Water Balance Model module. This tool will help local governments quantify levels-of-service without the need for intensive and expensive modelling. The tool will include the capability to assess the impacts of climate change and allow the municipalities to establish priorities, and to make budget decisions for identified drainage system upgrading.”

"The Primer sets the stage for a shift to a level-of-service approach to setting watershed-specific rainwater runoff targets," adds Kim Stephens, Executive Director for the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia. "An increasing local government ‘infrastructure deficit’ means that there will be even more competition for available funding. Thus, a driver for doing business differently is to demonstrate how to ‘do more with less’ by placing emphasis on what really matters and being outcome-oriented."

“Sustainable Service Delivery is the Province of British Columbia’s branding for a life-cycle way of thinking about infrastructure needs and how to pay for them over time. The approach is holistic. We are challenging local governments to think about what asset management entails BEFORE the asset is built. The paradigm-shift starts with land use planning and determining what services can be provided sustainably, both fiscally and ecologically,” states the Province’s Glen Brown. He is the Deputy Inspector of Municipalities.

TO LEARN MORE: To download a copy of the Primer, click here . To read more about it on the Water Bucket website, click on Primer on Urban Watershed Modelling to Inform Local Government Decision Processes.

"We unveiled the Primer when the Partnership and City of Surrey co-hosted the pilot Course on the ISMP Course Correction in November 2011 in the Metro Vancouver region," states Ted van der Gulik (BC Ministry of Agriculture), also a founding Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability. "The course provided the opportunity to teach water resource practitioners about the fundamentals of rainwater management. Otherwise this understanding could potentially be lost."

To read a related article posted on the Water Bucket website, click on Rainwater Management in a Watershed Context - What's the Goal? Published by Stormwater Magazine in November 2011, the article provides an overview of the divergent goals of rainwater management in the US and Canada written from a British Columbia perspective.

E-Blast #2011-64

December 6, 2011

Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation on Vancouver Island: The 2008 Capital Region Series

2011-12-03T17:43:00.003-08:00

Doing Business Differently

Building on the interest and momentum generated by successful series on both sides of the Georgia Basin in 2007, CAVI - Convening for Action on Vancouver Island collaborated with the Capital Regional District and the Green Infrastructure Partnership to organize Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation: The 2008 Capital Region Series. Each event started with a meet-and-greet at 8:30am, and typically concluded around 2:30pm after a walkabout.

According to John Finnie, CAVI Past-Chair (and General Manager, Regional and Community Utilities, Regional District of Nanaimo), “The goal of the Series was to promote networking, inform and educate practitioners, and help local governments move ‘from awareness to action’ in doing business differently --- The New Business As Usual --- through sharing of approaches, tools, experiences and lessons learned that will ultimately inform a pragmatic strategy for climate change adaptation.”

"There are a lot of good things happening throughout Vancouver Island. Yet practitioners in local government are not necessarily aware when they are being innovative and are not often aware of innovation in other municipalities. Because people are so busy in their own worlds, it takes a third party to connect them. That is the role that CAVI plays."

"The Showcasing Innovation Series created pride and enabled local governments to tell their stories in a way that no other forum currently provides,” observes Kim Stephens, Series organizer and event Moderator, and Executive Director for the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia. “These were neither workshops nor seminars in the conventional sense. Rather the purpose of presentations was to whet the appetites of participants for the site tour that followed. The real learning took place on the bus and when we went for a walkabout.”

"The 2008 Series featured projects that demonstrated what is meant by The New Business As Usual, and set provincial benchmarks for others to measure themselves against," adds Jody Watson, Harbours & Watersheds Coordinator for the Capital Regional District. "The 2008 Series was a progression, starting with a roadway in View Royal and ending with the mini-municipality that is the University of Victoria."

To Learn More: Click on Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation on Vancouver Island: Summary Report on the 2008 Capital Region Series

Town of View Royal hosted first event in the 2008 Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation on Vancouver Island Series

2011-12-03T17:43:00.002-08:00

View Royal Implements Ecosystem-Based Plan for Enhancement of Old Island Highway

The Town of View Royal was the host municipality for the first of three events in Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation: The 2008 Series. The Town showcased its Transportation Master Plan, with the spotlight on the implementation strategy for reconstruction and enhancement of the old Island Highway in phases.

"Through a comprehensive consultation process, the community has embraced a holistic, ecosystem approach that looks for opportunities and synergies to achieve multiple objectives when replacing and/or retrofitting municipal infrastructure," reports Emmet McCusker, Director of Engineering.

A series of six stories posted on the Water Bucket website elaborate on the program content. To access those stories and learn more, click here.

To download a document that consolidates the six Water Bucket stories under one cover, click on the following link to the Summary Report on Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in the Town of VIew Royal.

City of Langford hosted second event in the 2008 Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation on Vancouver Island Series

2011-12-03T17:43:00.001-08:00

Bridging Engineering and Planning

The focus of Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in the City of Langford was on how to create neighbourhoods that integrate both good planning and innovative engineering designs, for overall greater sustainability, that is: environmental, social and economic. The City collaborated with Westhills to showcase the Westhills Green Community which will comprise 6000 new residential units at full build-out. Westhills was one of the first Canadian pilots for LEED Neighbourhood Development.

Learn by Doing: At the heart of the City’s approach to innovation is its corporate philosophy for managing risk, learning by doing, and adapting quickly to new information and changing circumstances.

"A corporate culture that is willing to accept and then manage risk with regards to infrastructure standards can open the door to creativity, innovation – and its rewards," John Manson, City Engineer, told the Showcasing audience. "Langford has a tradition of adapting quickly to new information and changing circumstances."

Rapid Adaptation: "Langford's new Official Community Plan, developed within a unique sub-regional planning process, is highly strategic rather than prescriptive," adds Emilie Adin, the City's Deputy Planner. "The Official Community Plan supports Langford's vision for flexibility and rapid adaptation to new ecological and social imperatives."

Sense of Community: Westhills is British Columbia's largest LEED-Neighbourhood Development pilot project. "Westhills has design lements and community initiatives that create and nuture a strong sense of community; and a plan that incorporates leading-edge environmental technologies," stated Darlene Tait, speaking on behlaf of Westhills. "The project integrates the principles of smart growth, new urbanism and green buildings into a system for neighbourhood design."

To Learn More: A set of six web stories posted on the Water Bucket website elaborate on the program content. To access those stories and learn more, click here.

To download a document that consolidates the six Water Bucket stories under one cover, click on the following link to the Summary Report on Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation in the City of Langford.

University of Victoria hosted third event in the 2008 Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation on Vancouver Island Series

2011-12-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

A Compact, Complete Community

Hosted by the University of Victoria, the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability and the POLIS Project at Ecological Governance, the third and final event in the 2008 Series showcased how each is 'walking the talk' in turning theory into action.

A community of more than 25,000 people, the University of Victoria (UVic) is a case study for green buildings and compact growth. Commencing in 2003, UVic has been able to transition from an incremental approach in planning and resource management to a water-centric approach that is much more holistic and integrated --– the new business as usual.

“This transformational experience resulted in a new vision for constructing water and energy efficient buildings in a built environment that respects the natural environment,” reports Sarah Webb, formerly with the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability.” UVic is leading by example in implementing approaches and practices that achieve Design with Nature outcomes, and reduce physical impacts resulting from intensive urbanization.”

To Learn More: A set of six stories posted on the Water Bucket website elaborate on the program content. To learn more, click here.

To download a document that consolidates the six Water Bucket stories under one cover, click on the following link to the Summary Report on Showcasing Green Infrastructure Innovation at the University of Victoria.

Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC releases “Primer on Rainwater Management in an Urban Watershed Context”

2011-11-29T06:44:00.000-08:00

Integrating the Site with the Watershed and the Stream

ln 2002, the Province released Stormwater Planning: A Guidebookfor British Columbia. Looking at rainfall differently led to a new approach to rainwater management. The Guidebook provided a science-based framework to guide development of the 'stormwater' component of Liquid Waste Management Plans.

“When the Province released the Guidebook in 2002, we thought we would be doing well if we could just hold the line and protect what we had. We hoped we might have enough successes after 20 years that maybe, just maybe, we would then improve conditions in the decades that followed,” states Peter Law, Chair of the Guidebook Steering Committee (2000-2002). Formerly with the Ministry of Environment, Peter Law is a founding Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia.

“Well, it is 2011 and we have exceeded our own expectations. What was a dream in 2002 may now in fact be achievable. We have the tools and experience to ‘design with nature’ in order to soften the ‘water footprint’ of development. Watershed restoration is within our grasp.”

“Building on the Guidebook foundation, the Partnership has released the Primer on Rainwater Management in an Urban Watershed Context. The purpose of the Primer is to provide engineers and non-engineers with a common understanding of how a science-based approach to rainwater management has evolved since the mid-1990s.”

"The goal of protecting stream health has become a driver for action in BC. By 2002, as an implementation action resulting from enactment of the Fish Protection Act (1997), the Province had developed the Guidebook. It was a joint effort of two Ministries – Environment and Municipal Affairs. The process produced a science-based framework to guide development of the stormwater component of Liquid Waste Management Plans," continues Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director.

"We unveiled the Primer when the Partnership and City of Surrey co-hosted the pilot Course on the ISMP Course Correction on November 9-10, 2011 in the Metro Vancouver region," adds Ted van der Gulik (BC Ministry of Agriculture), also a founding Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability. "The course provided the opportunity to teach water resource practitioners about the fundamentals of rainwater management. Otherwise this understanding could potentially be lost."

TO LEARN MORE: To download a copy of the Primer, click here. To read the complete story posted on the Water Bucket website, click on Primer on Rainwater Management in an Urban Watershed Context.

E-Blast #2011-63

November 29, 2011

'Green Infrastructure': from Rooftops to Rivers

2011-11-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

Bring Nature into City Environments

The report, Rooftops to Rivers II, outlines challenges and solutions facing US cities in restoring and maintaining the quality of rivers, lakes, and other waterways. Produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the report strongly supports the use of green infrastructure – vegetation and other water collection and filtration systems that absorb rainfall before it becomes polluted runoff – to protect watersheds.

"Although land use strategies were beyond the scope of Rooftops to Rivers II, and are not discussed in it, smart growth too can play a very important role in protecting watersheds from stormwater runoff. The authors observe that, under current trends, the US could have 68 million more acres of developed land, with accompanying roads, parking lots and rooftops that promote runoff, by 2025. But that need not be the case: more efficient land use can bring that number down," writes Kaid Benfield, NRDC Director of Sustainable Communities, in an article posted on his blog.

In his article, Kaid Benfield also writes that: "....we also need to bring nature into our city environments, both to maintain ecological health and to enrich the health and well-being of city residents and visitors. Green infrastructure makes urban density better and more inviting by doing exactly that with trees, green roofs, gardens, natural landscaping, and more."

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete article by Kaid Benfield, click on Report highlights exemplary clean water practices in Philadelphia, Milwaukee, other cities. Kaid Benfield is co-founder, LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system; and co-founder, Smart Growth America coalition.