Get Your Mind Into the Gutter: “We have brought together a powerhouse team of nine rainwater champions,” reports Mike Tanner, Workshop Chair
Embracing Rainwater Harvesting
The common perception is that British Columbia has an abundance of water….but does it?
On December 3, 2013 the Partnership for Water Sustainability and the Irrigation Industry Association of BC (IIABC) are joining forces to co-host a workshop that will explore regulatory requirements, water balance benefits and practical applications of rainwater harvesting design and operation.
The workshop is structured as four cascading modules; and will be a full day of presentations and town-hall sharing and learning. In conjunction with the workshop, a mini-tradeshow will showcase rainwater harvesting products.
To Learn More:
TO REGISTER for the workshop, go to the IIABC website: https://www.irrigationbc.com/irrigation/courses/view_scheduled/119
TO DOWNLOAD a copy of the Program Overview, click on Get Your Mind Into the Gutter: A Workshop on Rainwater Harvesting in British Columbia.
TO DOWNLOAD a summary of relevant information about the workshop presentation team, click on Nine Rainwater Champions.
Water Conservation Target: 50% of New Needs
“Many BC communities are often water-short when demand is greatest. And now our climate is changing. To future-proof communities, 45 actions and targets in Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan establish expectations for doing 
business differently,” observes Mike Tanner, a founding Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
“By 2020, the Province expects that 50% of new municipal water needs will be acquired through conservation. This provincial target frames learning outcomes for the “Getting Your Mind into the Gutter Workshop” on December 3.”
“To showcase how the 50% target can be met through a suite of approaches, we have structured the workshop content in modules, each with a team of three presenters. We start with regulatory changes and cascade down through community-scale initiatives to the Living Building Challenge.”
“We believe we have an exciting program. We have brought together a powerhouse team of nine rainwater champions. These individuals are leading change in BC and/or beyond. They are all very passionate about what they do. They have wisdom, are pragmatic, and their enthusiasm is contagious.”
Module A: Living Water Smart – Doing Business Differently in British Columbia to Achieve Provincial Goals and Targets
In Module A, the team of Chris Midgley, Zachary May and Cate Soroczan will connect dots and paint the “big picture” for rainwater harvesting in BC. They will address the regulatory context that enables, and the opportunities this creates, for innovators and implementers to harvest and utilize rainwater where it falls.
For a preview of what to expect, click on Workshop Module A: Learn Why and How Regulatory Change in British Columbia Enables Grass-Roots Innovation and Leadership
Module B: Embracing Rainwater – Water Balance Benefits
In Module B, the team of Kirk Stinchcombe, Carolyn Drugge and Richard Boase will elaborate on the benefits of utilizing rainwater as a resource in the urban environment; in particular how the benefits will cascade from region to neighbourhood and site when practitioners approach the Water Balance from a systems perspective.
For a preview of what to expect, click on Workshop Module B: Embracing Rainwater – Water Balance Benefits.
Module C: Innovation, Integration and “The Living Building” – Implementer Perspectives
In Module C, the implementer team of Mark Buehrer, Craig Borland and Ron Schwenger will highlight what one needs to know about the design and installation of rainwater harvesting systems in a Living Building context. Their context presentations will inform and prepare participants for a “Town-Hall Sharing & Learning” segment on Rainwater Harvesting Greatest Challenges.
For a preview of what to expect, click on Workshop Module C: Innovation, Integration and the Living Building – Implementer Perspectives.
