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

New Resource to Help Communities Achieve Water Sustainability

In October 2011, 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.

“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.

From Stormwater to Rainwater

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.

“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.

To Learn More:

To download a copy of Peeling Back the Pavement: A Blueprint for Reinventing Rainwater Management in Canada’s Communities, click here.