Rainwater Management

“I really like what Kim Stephens and his British Columbia team did in developing the water balance methodology, and I told him that after he pinch-hit for me in delivering the conference keynote in Chicago in February 2003. That was shortly after the Guidebook was published. Too often we see a cookie-cutter approach when guidebooks and manuals are replicated across the United States,” stated Tom Schueler.

“Metro Vancouver contributed $50,000 towards development of the Water Balance Express because widespread use of this decision tool will help Metro Vancouver and members fulfil our regulatory commitments. The region and members have committed to protecting stream and watershed health,” stated Greg Moore. The Express helps property owners meet pre-set watershed targets for volume, infiltration, and flow.

“Downstream engineering solutions treat the symptoms of the root cause which happens in the headwaters,” stated Younes Alila. “The framework and concepts I advocate for are applicable to all land use and land covers – whether urban, forested or agricultural – to all disturbances, and to watersheds of all sizes. Can we afford to continue on the same path when the stakes are high?

“Both the Metro research in the late 1990s and the current EAP research are spatial analyses. With hindsight, I can say that Metro was ahead of its time and got it right with the RFI index but let it slip away,” stated Tim Pringle. “EAP deals with parcels which is as spatial as you can get. The EAP process allows local governments to transcend the numbers and explore the financial impact of land development choices.”

“Vancouver Island University is all-in because the Ecological Accounting Process is an idea that can change the game with respect to protection or restoration of riparian integrity along streams. The strategy ensures that knowledge is retained at an institutional level, that is, VIU. Students are excited to contribute to the change. We will be continuously training youth to apply the EAP methodology,” stated Graham Sakaki.

“Asset management is a process for sustainable service delivery. The BC Framework is designed as a wheel as there is a beginning but no end to the process, The role of natural assets in our communities is not well understood. As the AMBC Primer published in 2019 shows, significant work has been done on the integration of natural assets into the overall asset management program,” stated Wally Wells.

“What combination of public self-interest and political lever will it take to effect change? One of my legacy projects illustrates leveraging a political moment to make a difference. My story is about why we got commitment to implement a universal water metering program. Self-interest plus political commitment was more persuasive than language about equity, efficiency and water conservation benefits,” stated Ray Fung.

“Every generation is handed a world that has been shaped by their predecessors – and then seemingly forgets that fact. This blind spot is the reason why a baseline creeps imperceptibly over generations. We transform the world, but we don’t remember it. We adjust our baseline to the new level, and we don’t recall what was there. At the end you want to sustain miserable leftovers,” stated Daniel Pauly.

The Metro Vancouver region’s Draft Interim Liquid Waste Management Plan is the springboard to a re-set and course correction in 2025. “When we built cities, greenspace was paved and pipes handled all that drainage. Our reliance on pipes and streams is proving to be inadequate in view of new, heavy patterns of rainfall that we are beginning to see,” stated Peter Navratil.

“The timeline provides a perspective on the Partnership’s commitment to support local government champions who strive to achieve a Watershed Health Legacy. This means apply science-based understanding to develop tools and establish precedents. Learn from experience to successfully implement, through collaboration, an environmentally adaptive approach to community design,” stated Kim Stephens.