A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR WATER SUSTAINABILITY: “A precedent-setting Partnership Agreement defined the period from 1997 through 2002. The agreement set the stage for collaborative leadership in the 2000s,” states Eric Bonham, architect and driving force behind the agreement
Note to Reader:
The early history of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia is presented in the contextual document titled Celebration of Our Story: Genesis / First Decade / What Next, published in November 2020. The following article is the 6th in a series of extracts from this key document.
The main takeaway is that a precedent-setting Partnership Agreement, one of the first in British Columbia (if not the first) defined the water sustainability from 1997 through 2002. This period set the stage for moving forward with collaborative leadership under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan in the 2000s.
A Water Conservation Strategy for British Columbia
This extract from Celebration of Our Story covers the 5-year period from 1997 through 2002. The 18-member Provincial Working Group, supported by Ministry of Environment staff and resources, developed the Water Conservation Strategy for British Columbia.
Fast-tracked, it was released in September 1998 at the Annual Convention of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). UBCM provided the setting for the Ministries of Environment and Municipal Affairs to jointly announce a precedent-setting Partnership Agreement between the Province, Environment Canada and BCWWA.
“The purpose of the agreement: implement the Water Conservation Strategy through an Executive Committee of the Water Use Efficiency Committee (WUEC),” recalls Eric Bonham. At the time, he was a director in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. He was also the architect and driving force who brought the agreement to fruition.
A Spotlight on Success Stories
“When the Working Group was developing the Water Conservation Strategy, I frequently reminded my colleagues of the importance of celebrating success stories,” explains Kim Stephens.
During the period 1998 through 2001, Kim Stephens served as the Communications Chair on the WUEC Executive Committee for Provincial Water Conservation Strategy Implementation.
“The focus on success stories is reflected in the Executive Summary for the Strategy which opens with this statement: British Columbia is on its way to becoming a water-efficient province. In a recent survey, 76% of 127 respondents have already developed, or are in the process of creating water use efficiency programs.”
Strategic Directions
“The Water Conservation Strategy identified 10 strategic directions aimed at minimizing barriers to whole-system actions, and encouraging a broader understanding and adoption of water use efficiency actions,” continues Eric Bonham.
“The Water Conservation Strategy opened the door to ecosystem-based thinking and the water balance approach. It also connected a myriad of dots in laying out a framework for action.”
“For three years, 1998 through 2001, the WUEC Executive Committee successfully delivered an outreach program that spread the word about the Water Conservation Strategy. However, exhaustion took a toll, and 2002 was essentially a lost year.”
It Helps to Have a Teachable Year
“The committee was re-built, energized, and primed for action. No longer was it a committee of utility managers. It was a diverse partnership. In 2003, BC had a teachable year,” recalls Ted van der Gulik, former Senior Engineer in the Ministry of Agriculture.
To Learn More:
To read the complete story about the early history of the Partnership, download a copy of Celebration of Our Story: Genesis / First Decade / What Next. It is structured in two part parts. Part One sketches an outline of many ideas and nuances about the work of The Partnership. Part Two is a deeper dive as shown in the storyboard below.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/atp/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/11/PWSBC_Story-of-First-Decade_Nov-2020.pdf
