Metro Vancouver Board aligns Liquid Waste Management Plan with Province’s Vision for Integrated Resource Recovery
Liquid Waste Management Plan
The Metro Vancouver regional district is in the final stages of updating its Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP). This regulatory document provides the framework and direction for regional sewage treatment and municipal rainwater management.
The LWMP is a core component of the Metro Vancouver Sustainability Framework; and implementation of the strategies and actions in the Plan will shape how the region achieves community well-being and environmental integrity over time.
Doing Business Differently
In a February 2009 report to the Metro Vancouver Waste Management Committee, Fred Nenninger (Division Manager, Policy and Planning Department) wrote that “new information and drivers suggest that further modifications to the draft LWMP would greatly enhance the consultation process and better articulate the alignment of the Plan with provincial plans and direction.”
One of these drivers is Integrated Resource Recovery. This is an approach and a set of tools for planning and managing community infrastructure to maximize the recovery of value from waste resources. In April 2009, the Province released a 
Guide that examines approaches local governments across British Columbia might consider in using solid and liquid waste to create energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, and recover nutrients.
“A major challenge for Metro Vancouver and its members is adapting legacy swerage and stormwater infrastructure from a 20th century moel to a sustainable 21st century model,” wrote Fred Nenninger. “The Integrated Resource Recovery approach requires the successful alignment and integration of provincial, municipal and regional plans and a willingness to embrace and refine new technologies and techniques.”
Aligning with Provincial Initiatives
According to Lois Jackson, Chair, when the Greater Vancouver Sewerage & Drainage District Board met in March 2009, “it approved realigning the goals, strategies and actions in the updated LWMP to keep current with senior government policies and positions, as well as ensure that Metro Vancouver’s and senior governments’ environmental and fiscal objectives and actions are mutually supportive and successful.”
To Learn More:
To download a staff report that elaborates on how Metro Vancouver is proceeding, click on Aligning with Provincial Initiatives.