WBM Express introduced to Metro Vancouver Regional Planning Advisory Committee in July 2012
Sustainable Rainwater Management: Mimic the Water Balance and Protect Stream Health
In July 2012, the rainwater component of the Metro Vancouver region’s Integrated Liquid Waste & Resource Management Plan provided the back drop for a presentation by Kim Stephens to the Regional Planning Advisory Committee (RPAC). The Integrated Plan was adopted by the Regional Board in May 2010 and approved by the Minister of Environment in May 2011
Kim Stephens is the Executive Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC. The Partnership’s responsibilities included delivery of an inter-regional education initiative for Rainwater Management in a Watershed Sustainability Context.
“When the Minister approved the Integrated Plan, he connected the dots between land use planning and watershed health. Hence, this is the pertinence to RPAC,” Kim Stephens told the RPAC members.
“Kim’s presentation informed RPAC members regarding the responsibility of individual municipality’s responsibility to comply with the Environmental Management Act and mimic the water balance to protect stream health. We learned about the benefits of developing pre-set targets to help guide landowners in achieving an effective combination of site enhancements to capture rain where it falls,” summarized Susan Haid (District of North Vancouver), RPAC Chair.
Water Balance Model Express for Landowners
To help RPAC municipal members understand how they can better deliver on their municipality’s regulatory commitments, Kim Stephens previewed the Water Balance Model Express.
“As part of the land approval process, this tool will allow a landowner to look at what is on the property now, and quantify the kind of footprint change they intend to make,” explained Kim Stephens. “Then they will be able to examine the water impacts associated with that change in footprint; and determine how they can make different
decisions about how to manage that change.”
“The WBM Express will be populated with three watershed-specific performance targets that link rainfall to stream health. These will be pre-set by the partner local government. When the landowner clicks on a pop-up location map, much like that for garbage collection schedules, it will pre-set the target values by zone. The Express guides the landowner through an iterative PASS/FAIL process to select and test options and choices.”
To Learn More:
To download a copy of the Agenda Package that supported the presentation by Kim Stephens, click here. To download a copy of the Minutes of the RPAC, click here
To download a PDF copy of the PowerPoint presentation by Kim Stephens, click on Sustainable Rainwater Management:Mimic the Water Balance and Protect Stream Health!
