Implementing Rainwater Management: “Primer on Land Development Process in BC” released at 2013 UBCM Annual Convention
Note to Reader:
In September 2013, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) offered a half-day session on “Tools, Resources & Funding for Local Governments” as part of the Annual Convention held in Vancouver. The focus was on tools and resources for local government. This event provided the Partnership for Water Sustainability with a timely venue to release the fourth in the Beyond the Guidebook Primer Series.
To download a copy, click on Primer on Land Development Process in BC: Industry Standards of Practice in Implementing Rainwater Management.
How to Implement Rainwater Management, Really?
In 2002, looking at rainfall differently led the Province of British Columbia to adopt the Water Balance Methodology, initiate a performance target approach to capturing rain where it falls, and initiate changes in the ways rainwater runoff is returned to streams. To facilitate changes in industry practices, the Primer on Land Development Process has a specific focus on the roles and responsibilities of those who are involved in implementing industry standards of practice.
Recognize there is a Knowledge Vacuum
“There is a knowledge vacuum in BC. and this has resulted in a gap between awareness of what needs to be done, and the capability of local government staff and others to implement standards of practice that will ultimately achieve the goal of mimicking the natural Water Balance following development,” states Jim Dumont, principal author of the Primer and Engineering Applications Authority for the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
“The land development sector is experiencing the consequences of the demographic shift that is occurring society-wide. There is staff turnover; and long-term experience and wisdom is not being passed on to the next generation. Increasingly, it seems that few administrative staff and even fewer members of the general public really understand the land development process.”
“Before we can even begin to look at solutions we need to recognize the knowledge vacuum and provide information to fill it. When there is a knowledge base, then solutions are much easier to implement. To fill this educational need, the goal of the Primer on Land Development Process in BC is to provide practitioners with an understanding of the legal and administrative framework for land development,” concludes Jim Dumont.
To Learn More:
To download a copy, click on Primer on Land Development Process in BC: Industry Standards of Practice in Implementing Rainwater Management.
For a section-by-section synopsis of the Primer storyline, click on the following link to Table 1. Sections 1 and 2 establish the regulatory context and describe the Primer scope, respectively. To achieve the educational objectives, the balance of the Primer is organized in five sections: Sections 3 and 4 provide context; Sections 5 and 6 provide guidance; and Section 7 consolidates what is important to know.
