Convening for Action in British Columbia

FLASHBACK TO 2010: “Think about it – the Reference Panel has influenced the waste committee, the finance committee and the way we make decisions overall in the Metro Vancouver region. The community benefits,” stated Pam Goldsmith-Jones, former mayor of West Vancouver (2005-2011)

May 28, 2024 - Posted in Metro Vancouver Liquid Waste Management Reference Panel

Note to Reader:

Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on May 28, 2024 featured Robert Hicks, a career engineer-planner in local government in the Metro Vancouver region. He is an original champion of a water balance approach combined with use of green infrastructure to bend the hydrology of a watershed down over decades and thus reduce risk and liability as land use densifies.

Why watersheds are at a heightened risk

“My collaboration with Robert Hicks began in the mid-1990s and continues to this day. So, I have direct knowledge of multiple examples that illustrate why he has consistently been ahead of his time in every sense of that phrase,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.

“Robert Hicks is skilled at providing historical context and perspective for “the big picture” of today. He is one of those rare individuals who is able to look back, understand the past and learn from it, and then project far ahead to assess policy implications.”

Streams and trees component of Metro Vancouver regional plan

“Metro Vancouver’s Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan has two components, sewage treatment and rainwater (“streams and trees”). It is a regulatory instrument with legal obligations to fulfil. Robert Hicks had a role in the first two plans and held the pen for the 2011 plan update.”

“In the 2011 plan update, my role was chair of the expert advisory Reference Panel. We reported directly to the regional elected representatives. Between 2008 and 2010, we met numerous times with either the Waste Committee or the Finance Committee.”

“The cumulative benefit of the reporting out process was that it informed, educated and enhanced the level of awareness and understanding on the part of elected representatives. This built support for the plan update.”

Capture rain where it falls

“When the process for plan updating commenced in 2008, Metro Vancouver staff were enthusiastic about the role of the Reference Panel,” added Robert Hicks. “Because there was trust with staff, and the Reference Panel had the attention of the politicians, the Reference Panel could say what staff could not. There was huge positive value in that.”

“You can bend the hydrology of a watershed over decades just because of the housing redevelopment cycle. But you get just one chance every 50 years to get it right. The Reference Panel reinforced that desired outcome with its recommendations.”

By design or default, re-development choices and practices bend the hydrology of a watershed, and for either better or worse

“Circa 2000, Robert Hicks created the graphic below as a communication tool to make the case to elected representatives that re-development creates the opportunity for communities to use a water balance approach to bend the hydrology of a watershed over decades. But achieving this desired outcome requires a sustained commitment year after year after year,” continued Kim Stephens.

“Robert Hicks was the internal champion at Metro Vancouver for creating the Water Balance Methodology and Model for scenario comparison purposes. Such comparisons were transformational in helping decision makers visualize HOW their municipalities could meet watershed targets and mitigate population growth and climate change, one property at a time.”

“This built support for changes in development practices and galvanized action in the 2000s. The evolution of technical understanding is illustrated by the timeline and milestones listed in the image below.”

“Metro Vancouver had the budget to fund the early work on the Water Balance Methodology and thus bridge the source control information gap.” explained Robert Hicks. “What we learned from the 50-year scenario comparisons became a foundation piece for Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia.”

“Unfortunately, memories are short and knowledge is either forgotten, lost or ignored as the players change. And so, momentum is dissipated and backsliding sets in. Consequently, the legacy of the past two decades is cumulative impacts rather than cumulative benefits,” concluded Kim Stephens.

TO LEARN MORE:

To read the complete story, download a copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Bend the watershed hydrology to reduce risk and liability. It includes a Bonus Feature – the complete interview with Robert Hicks.