Rainwater Harvesting on the West Coast: Dr. Peter Coombes a hit with Vancouver audience
About Peter Coombes
The program for the Rainwater Harvesting Workshop in Vancouver was built around Dr. Peter Coombes of the University of Newcastle in Australia. Dr. Coombes is an engineer and a microbiologist who has achieved international recognition as a result of challenging conventional wisdom and championing new approaches for Urban Water Cycle Management in Australia. He is a prolific researcher and applied scientist, and typically delivers over 50 presentations a year to government and non-government organizations.
In the photo below, Kim Stephens, Program Coordinator for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia, presents Haida art by the renowned artist Bill Reid to Dr. Coombes (on the right).
To Learn More:
Dr. Coombes made four presentations. Click on the links below to view them:
Coombes#1: Integrated Water Cycle Management in Australia
Coombes#2: Water-Sensitive Urban Design On-the-Ground
Coombes#3: Turning the Tap – A Closer Look at Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Coombes#4: Overcoming Barriers – Where There is a Will, There is a Way
Convening for Action
The workshop was co-moderated by Kim Stephens (Program Coordinator, Water Sustainability Action Plan) and Colwyn Sunderland (Demand Management Coordinator, Capital Regional District) in the morning and afternoon, respectively.
Click on the links below for their opening and closing presentations:
Kim Stephens: CONVENING FOR ACTION: Creating Our Future
Colwyn Sunderland: CONVENING FOR ACTION: Closing the Loop
Panel Session
In addition to the presentations by Dr. Coombes, Kim Stephens and Colwyn Sunderland, Norm Connolly of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation moderated a Panel Session that featured three Greater Vancouver applications of Rainwater Harvesting. Click on the links below to view these presentations:
Norm Connolly: Pooling Ideas – Making Sense of Rainwater Harvesting on the ‘Wet Coast’
Kent Smith & Akemi Sui: Rainwater Harvesting for Industrial Use at Pacific Coast Terminals in Port Moody
Ed Hoeppner: Residential Rainwater Harvesting on Hornby Island
David Tracey: Water Supply Alternatives for Strathcona Wetlands and Community Gardens Project on the East Side of Vancouver
Learn from Agriculture
A key message of the workshop was this: ‘The Urban Sector can learn from the Agricultural Sector: Rainwater harvesting is already meeting agricultural irrigation needs.’ Click on the link below to view the presentation by Terry Lattimer, General Manager of South Alder Greenhouses Ltd.
Farm Economics – Understanding Rain as a Bottomline Resource
