Convening for Action in British Columbia

banner

Tag:

Ted van der Gulik

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Groundwater Users Put on Notice,” released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in July 2021


    “Government needs to ensure that they communicate ALL of the ongoing financial risks to historical businesses and the potential devaluation of their properties, if they miss the deadline. I believe that it is very important to be crystal clear about the impacts of the end of the transition period given how the law is written. In addition to government’s two-pronged responsibility for better communication and enforcement, there is a third responsibility that all citizens can take on. We all need to recognize the importance of water as a shared resource and illegal water use is unacceptable,” stated Donna Forsyth.

    Read Article

    LANDSCAPE WATER CONSERVATION IN KELOWNA: “The City Utility is excited to promote this online tool (BC Landscape Water Calculator) to our residents. It makes the process of understanding, calculating, and submitting water use reports to the City so much easier and user-friendly,” stated Ed Hoppe, Water Quality and Customer Care Supervisor, City of Kelowna


    “The City’s approval process for integration of landscape and irrigation system design is keyed to three requirements. First, use of turf-grass is limited to a maximum of 60% of the site. Secondly, irrigation systems must be sized so that water use would not exceed the allowable annual water budget. Thirdly, a Landscape Water Conservation Report must be submitted for the City’s approval,” stated Ed Hoppe. “Use of the BC Landscape Water Calculator (to support reporting out) highlights the importance of making conscious water decisions while still making your landscape look fantastic. Win-win for everyone!”

    Read Article

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Operationalizing the BC Landscape Water Calculator”, released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in June 2021


    “In 2011, the City looked at options to reduce peak water demands due to the high cost of a new water source. This included conservation, optimizing existing sources and system efficiencies. Several different conservation programs were explored, one of the programs implemented was a voluntary program for irrigation and landscape water efficiency. The solution to our need was the BC Landscape Water Calculator. Homeowners can now provide us with a report that shows how their choice of water efficient plants and landscape design meets their water budget,” stated Amy Peters.

    Read Article

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: The Emerging Crisis Around Groundwater Legislation Implementation” (May 2021)


    “Time is running out. The deadline for historical groundwater users to apply is only months away. Just over the horizon, there is a crisis in waiting, for landowners and for government. Groundwater is intertwined with other regulations. Without quick action, government risks other dominoes falling. There will be economic consequences for rural BC farmers, businesses, and industries. They need government to fix this. Government can turn it around if a water champion is appointed at the highest level. To be successful, this water leader must have the authority and accountability to make water a priority and remain a priority,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

    Read Article

    DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “The Emerging Crisis Around Groundwater Legislation Implementation in British Columbia” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2021


    Effective March 2022, the transition period for groundwater licensing ends. The implication is that ‘historical uses’ without a licence would be considered ‘new uses’. As a result, those historical users who do apply for a licence would be subject to the new rules and conditions applicable to ‘new uses’. “Leadership at the highest level and a clear strategy to motivate historical groundwater users to apply, including signalling that government will deal with unauthorized water use, would be the game-changer that groundwater licensing desperately needs right now,” stated Mike Wei.

    Read Article

    ACHIEVING WATER BALANCE: “Water is the unifying element for growth management in the Okanagan,” stated Ted van der Gulik, Ministry of Agriculture, when he showcased new and emerging tools at the “Water OUT = Water IN” workshop that launched the Convening for Action in British Columbia initiative (April 2005)


    “Agriculture is an integral part of the Okanagan fabric. It creates the ‘look-and-feel’ that is part of the Okanagan tourist experience, is an essential component of the Okanagan economic engine, and contributes to the provincial food supply. Saving water should be driven by incentives for the agricultural community. In the Okanagan, over 85% of the total water supply is used for outdoor purposes in the urban and agricultural sectors. Because agricultural irrigation accounts for more than 70% of total water use, it is the key to an Okanagan Water Balance Strategy,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

    Read Article

    PLANNING FOR WATER RESILIENCY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “A longstanding goal of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is to find a balance between supporting those local governments who are leaders, while over time raising the bar to encourage the rest,” states Brian Bedford, A/Executive Director, Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing


    “The bar has been raised and no longer can a local government simply state in an application that they have a Water Conservation Plan endorsed by Council or Board resolution. Now, when a grant application is submitted, the Ministry asks for confirmation that an up-to-date plan has been approved by Council or Board resolution within the last 5 years. It is in the look ahead that one can foresee the opportunity for a local government to identify what role the BC Landscape Water Calculator could play in achieving water conservation targets and further reducing water use in the community,” states Brian Bedford.

    Read Article

    FLASHBACK TO 2009: The Water Conservation Calculator, an online tool, was unveiled by the BC provincial government at a national conference. What was the goal in developing the tool? Align provincial grant programs with water conservation targets in “Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan” to achieve water supply resiliency province-wide!


    “Smaller communities often cannot allocate resources to traditional infrastructure projects or cannot budget for the development of water conservation and efficiency plans by service providers. The purpose of the Water Conservation Calculator is to illustrate how specific conservation measures yield both fiscal and physical water consumption savings. Water purveyors can use the tool to assist in presenting their conservation case to council and other decision makers,” stated Lisa Wright, Ministry of Community & Rural Development.

    Read Article

    USING SCIENCE TO ESTABLISH A LANDSCAPE WATER BUDGET: “The BC Landscape Water Calculator is linked to a 500 metre gridded climate data set covering the entire province. The tool allows any property owner in BC to zoom in to their property and quantify their landscape water needs based on climate, soil, plant type and irrigation system,” stated Ted van der Gulik, Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, when he announced that the online calculator is now live


    “A platform re-build for the BC Agriculture Water Calculator was the opportunity to spin-off the BC Landscape Water Calculator as a stand-alone tool for use by local governments and their residents. At the same time, the City of Kelowna was implementing a landscape bylaw that established an allowable water budget at the individual property scale. Therefore, it was a natural fit for the Partnership and City to collaborate in the development of the BC Landscape Water Calculator,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

    Read Article

    VANCOUVER GREENLINK 2010 CONFERENCE: “By living water smart, communities will be more prepared for climate change and their quality of life will be enhanced. If we can show how to get the water part right, then other parts are more likely to follow,” stated Lynn Kriwoken, Ministry of Environment, at an international conference on sustainable communities, finance, technology and government (October)


    Imagine was the theme for Lynn’s presentation.”What do you imagine for water, both where you live and in your life? It is a tall order for water management in the 21st century, and how we get there? Living Water Smart outlines three key themes for realizing the vision. The first one is doing business differently. By that we mean making changes to the way we regulate and value water; and the way we develop land and communities,” stated Lynn Kriwoken.

    Read Article

    < Previous Page | Next Page >