Rainwater Management

“The provincial and regional water regulations are changing, and by 2012 provincial water laws will substantially change how development occurs. The purpose of the workshop is to review progressive rainwater/stormwater management techniques and how they can be incorporated into the planning and development process,” wrote Jack Peake, Chair of the Cowichan Valley Regional Board.

Chicago's Green Alley Program is consistent with Mayor Richard Daley’s desire to make Chicago the greenest city. One factor in the success of the Green Alleys Program is the way in which it was explained so clearly to the public. The major component of that public education is a publication titled The Chicago Green Alley Handbook.

“The City of North Vancouver is committed to integrating sustainable practices into its daily business. Furthermore, the City is leading by example in demonstrating on-the-ground leadership. This is illustrated by drainage features recently constructed within the highly urban Lonsdale Avenue corridor,” reports Tony Barber.

“Soils for Salmon” is an initiative of the Washington Organic Recycling Council. Soil performs valuable functions: nourishing plants, absorbing and cleaning stormwater. These functions are often degraded during development when soil is removed or compacted. Restoring healthy soil is essential to protecting our waterways and salmon, and our way of life in the Puget Sound region. Builders, developers, and landscapers are adopting practices that preserve and improve the soil on building sites, and protect waterways, and local governments are beginning to require it.

King County in Washington State became one of the first jurisdictions in the United States to adopt and implement a post-construction soil standard. Its regulation went into effect January 1, 2005. King County’s post-construction soil standard has changed the way developers plan and develop a site in unincorporated parts of the county.

“The desired outcome is that a common understanding of challenges and solutions will result in consistent expectations at front counters across Vancouver Island. To that end, the purpose of the seminars is to bring together representatives of planning, engineering, operations, building services, environment and parks departments from various municipalities. When developers and development consultants hear a consistent message about what is expected of them, we believe this will further accelerate doing business differently,” stated Kim Stephens.

The truth about stormwater regulation in Puget Sound is that it is not working, writes Sue Joerger. She states that the Washington State Department of Ecology has failed to develop an effective regulatory and enforcement strategy to protect water quality and salmon when it rains.

Rain gardens are a core element of the Design with Nature strategy for the Island Highway Enhancement Project through the Town of View Royal. Homeowners fronting on the old Island Highway will be involved in the decision-making for rain garden plant selection. The Town of View Royal has constructed a portable rain garden to demonstrate how dirty runoff is cleansed

According to an article published by Nature News, many 'green roof' schemes, which aim to make buildings more eco-friendly by turning rooftops into gardens, are failing because of a lack of basic research on their efficient installation and maintenance.

“Having both tools accessible from the same website provides drainage modellers with a choice, depending on the modelling objectives and the capabilities of the user,” states Ted van der Gulik.