ACHIEVING WATER BALANCE: a set of videos provide an audio record of the “Water OUT = Water IN workshop” held in April 2005 – the event launched the Convening for Action in British Columbia initiative and also fulfilled a provincial government commitment flowing from the 2004 Drought Forum
Note to Reader:
In 2005, the year after release of the Water Sustainability Action Plan, the Province of British Columbia and Partnership for Water Sustainability co-hosted the launch event for the Convening for Action in British Columbia initiative. The event also allowed the Province to fulfil a commitment flowing from the 2004 Drought Forum.
Held in Penticton and titled “Achieving Water Balance: A Workshop on Dealing with Uncertainty and Managing Risk”, the session purpose was to point the way forward to the next paradigm-shift in water supply management. Designed as a technical transfer session, it shone the spotlight on the Water OUT = Water IN way-of-thinking.
Setting the Scene to Achieve Water Balance
“Context is everything. In 2005, BC was early in the second decade of water conservation to reduce demand on supply systems. Due to recurring droughts, the emphasis had been on ‘water use efficiency/. By 2005, however, the impacts and implications of a changing climate were top-of-mind,” stated Kim Stephens, Water Sustainability Action Plan. He co-developed the program with Wenda Mason and Robert Hicks. He and Wenda Mason co-moderated the workshop.
“T
he Penticton Workshop was the first milestone in a multi-year process to raise awareness among water decision-makers that: Ensuring a safe and adequate water supply depends on understanding the science behind the Water OUT = Water IN equation, as well as what this means at the operational level. For this reason, the program was carefully planned and provided a blend of policy and technical”,
“We documented the day by recording it on video. We acknowledge that only the real keeners would be interested to want to watch the videos. And that is the point. Posted on YouTube, the videos provide a readily accessible record, for posterity, of where our minds were at in 2005.”
“Expressed another way, the videos provide a window into the thinking behind the messages that the members of the workshop team presented. The viewer can listen to and reflect on the words as speakers explain each of their PowerPoint slides. Thus, we envision the videos being of historical value for future researchers.”
TO LEARN MORE:
To download the workshop program, click on Demand Management Strategies – Achieving Water Balance.
Download a copy of the presentation by Kim Stephens titled Workshop Overview: Setting the Scene to Achieve Water Balance
Building Resiliency through a Water Management Continuum
Having options for managing water supplies and services within realistic financial and resource boundaries forms the water management continuum: from supply-side, through demand-side to the soft path. Moving beyond simply doing the same with less water, the ‘soft path’ seeks to build resiliency. This presentation provided context for being innovative – by learning from the early DSM adopters. Presentation by Oliver Brandes, The POLIS Project at the University of Victoria.
TO LEARN MORE:
Download a copy of Building Resiliency through a Water Management Continuum and follow along with the video commentary.
Dealing with Uncertainty and Managing Risk: It Starts with an Understanding of Variables
Total water resources are physically bounded within variable limits. Understanding how engineering analyses and assumptions deal with uncertainty and risk through their various interpretations of climate, climate variability, demand growth scenarios, and the physical and economic limits to system expansion were explored as part of building resiliency. Presentation by Ron Smith, Water Allocation Specialist, Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management.
TO LEARN MORE:
Download a copy of Dealing with Uncertainty and Managing Risk: It Starts with an Understanding of Variables and follow along with the video commentary.
Reconciliation of Long-Term Visions with Short-Term Realities: Planning to Live Within Limits
The solutions to short-term risks are long-term: it is a continuum. This presentation will explain why commitment to the long-term is so important; and will elaborate on the differences in approaches between short-term and long-term visions. Tools and techniques to ‘get from here to there’ were illustrated and explored through engaging the audience. Presentation by Robert Hicks, Senior Engineer, Greater Vancouver Regional District
A key message in this presentation revolved around the importance of language (i.e. “lingo”) in communicating with decision-makers, and how messages can easily be lost in translation when language is not used effectively. A second key message related to a retirement planning way-of-thinking and the conundrom whereby people have no difficulty reconciling personal long-term and short-term decisions, yet are challenged when it comes to reconciling short-term political versus long-term community planning decisions.
TO LEARN MORE:
Download a copy of Reconciliation of Long-Term Visions with Short-Term Realities: Planning to Live Within Limits and follow along with the video commentary.
Panel Session on Success Stories
Development of the Water $ave Tool Kit for BC included a survey of 200 regional districts, municipalities and water districts. The survey provided the starting point for identifying success stories and lessons learned. These are now available on the Water Use & Conservation Community-of-Interest.
The Presentation Panel was moderated by Wenda Mason of LWBC, and comprised representatives from four communities. The panelists highlighted what is being accomplished on-the-ground throughout British Columbia.
Sharing Demand Management Success Stories: City of Vernon Reclaimed Water Irrigation Program
In response to environmental issues in the 1970s, the City made the decision to implement land-based disposal of treated effluent. The current focus is on beneficial re-use of reclaimed water.
Presentation by Dale Danallanko Manager, Environmental Services Section.
To Learn More:
Download a copy of Sharing Demand Management Success Stories: City of Vernon Reclaimed Water Irrigation Program and follow along with the video commentary. Scroll down,
Sharing Demand Management Success Stories: District of West Vancouver Case Study
The objective is to reduce reliance on the regional water supply. The comprehensive strategy includes implementation of a $6.5 million universal metering program in combination with education and related initiatives to reduce water use and hence water supply costs.
Presentation by Ray Fung, Manager of Utilities, District of West Vancouver.
To Learn More:
Download a copy of Sharing Demand Management Success Stories: District of West Vancouver Case Study and follow along with the video commentary. Scroll down.
Sharing Demand Management Success Stories: Okanagan Valley Issues and Opportunities
The presentation provided a broadbrush picture of the Okanagan water supply situation and highlighted the opportunities for demand-management to achieve a water balance.
Presentation by Bob Hrasko, Black Mountain Irrigation District.
To Learn More:
Download a copy of Sharing Demand Management Success Stories: Okanagan Valley Issues and Opportunities and follow along with the video commentary. Scroll down.
Sharing Demand Management Success Stories:
Shuswap Case Study
The focus of the presentation was on a bottom-up community initiative to change water use behaviour.
Presentation by Eugene Lalonde.
Setting Objectives and Targets – Context for Breakout Session
To learn about actions that will lead to sustainable uses of water resources, the audience was challenged to focus on strategies that influence and change those behaviours and activities. This presentation provided a bridge between the Panel Session and the Breakout Session. It introduced the concept of short- and long-term objectives and targets where using the planning continuum provides a map that connects the two points in time.
Presentation by Erik Karlsen, Chair, Smart Growth on the Ground (and former Director of Growth Management Strategies, Ministry of Municipal Affairs).
TO LEARN MORE:
Download a copy of Change: Challenges & Choices / Responsibilities and Response Abilities and follow along with the video commentary.
BREAKOUT SESSION – Applying What You Have Learned
Participants worked in groups to complete an exercise for a case study community that is struggling to develop an achievable strategy for managing population growth, land development and water use. Each group was tasked with resolving issues and developing a path forward in reconciling short-term realities versus long-term desires.
Moderated by Wenda Mason of LWBC, the group exercise was to brainstorm a framework for a water planning continuum that achieves water balance. The groups were asked to identify key gaps and needs so that the case study community can evolve along the water management continuum and achieve water balance. Each group reported back on their ‘top three points’ for short- and long-term action within the context of the exercise.
District of Highlands Case Study
Context for the breakout session was provided by Eric Bonham, Chair of the Highlands Stewardship Foundation (and former Director of Engineering, Ministry of Municipal Affairs).
To Learn More:
Download a copy of Highlands Challenge and follow along with the video commentary.
WATER/ENERGY NEXUS and the ‘Continuum’ for a Resilient Future
The focus of the concluding presentation was on the water/energy nexus. We get energy from water, and we use energy to supply, treat and use water. Water use involves significant energy inputs which must be considered.
“The key concerns between the water and energy industries are the same; and the issues are similar. One difference is that the energy industry tackled demand management much sooner than the water industry,” stated Dr. Bob Wilkinson, Director, Water Policy Program at the University of California (Santa Barbara).
His presentation provided an overview of lessons that the water industry can learn from the energy industry; provided context on the implications of climate change; and introduced the water/energy nexus project that the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC) has commissioned for the Greater Vancouver region.
TO LEARN MORE:
Download a copy of WATER/ENERGY NEXUS and the ‘Continuum’ for a Resilient Future and follow along with the video commentary.
