DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Municipal Infrastructure Gap – We are past the point where local governments can catch up” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2026
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. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway (REPRODUCED BELOW), Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story.
The edition published on May 5, 2026 two municipal asset management thought leaders: featured Bill Sims and Wally Wells. They have looked at the growing Municipal Infrastructure Gap with fresh eyes. And what they see is a slow-moving financial crisis. They point the way forward with a call for a course correction that tempers expectations for demands on municipal services.
ONE MINUTE TAKEAWAY for the extremely busy reader
“Lately I have been reminding folks that in the 1970s, Canada saw an infrastructure funding boom – everyone built arenas, pools, sewers and water systems on 25 cent dollars,” states Bill Sims, freshly retired General Manager of Engineering and Public Works (City of Nanaimo)
Are you talking the right language to Councils?
“So, you tell Council that you have aging infrastructure. But the message does not resonate,” observes Wally Wells. “Are you talking the right language? The answer is no! That got me thinking. Where does the asset management process and plan fit into the big picture for councils?”
THE CONUNDRUM: When the public demands more and more services but is not willing to fund the costs
“The tax increases in local governments that some perceive as high aren’t even touching this funding gap,” continues Bill Sims. “Senior government funding has been shrinking since the 1990s, and the local property tax regime is woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the day.”
Local governments are falling further and further behind:
“The public continues to expect better and better service from local governments but are less and less willing to pay. What this means for the municipal infrastructure gap is that we are backsliding! Financially, this is a difficult and challenging place for local governments to be in.”
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Municipal Infrastructure Gap – We are past the point where local governments can catch up.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/04/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Bill-Sims-and-Wally-Wells_Municipal-Infrastructure-Gap_2026.pdf