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“A basic tenet of hydrology is that rainfall and runoff have different return periods. Yet drainage practitioners persist in applying a rainfall-based approach that assumes rainfall will always result in the same magnitude of runoff,” stated Jim Dumont. “We are at a crossroad in the path defining the methodologies and applications used in rainwater management. In a nutshell, Beyond the Guidebook enables us to make a clear distinction between a rainfall-based approach and a runoff-based approach. The runoff-based approach is best suited to the analysis needed to assess effectiveness of mitigation techniques.”

The first published article about the “Beyond the Guidebook Initiative” appeared in the Journal of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC). “The Stormwater Guidebook for British Columbia, published in 2002, offers direction and guidance on how to do stormwater management planning, design principles, and objectives,” wrote Jim Dumont. “We must be driven to investigate the problems and issues that stimulated preparation of the Guidebook. In doing so, we will be able to advance the science and engineering practice in a manner intended by the Guidebook.”