Rainwater Management

“It helps to look back to understand how we got to here. In 2000, DFO released Urban Stormwater Guidelines and Best Management Practices for Protection of Fish and Fish Habitat. It got practitioners thinking about how to capture rainfall in order to reduce runoff volume and protect water quality,” stated Corinio Salomi. DFO had concerns about how the DFO Guidelines were being interpreted and applied (by consultants); and these concerns were addressed by the Beyond the Guidebook Initiative.

When it was released, the Guidebook was a catalyst for action to implement a ‘design with nature’ approach to rainwater management and green infrastructure. “The premise underpinning the Guidebook was that land development and watershed protection can be compatible. The basis for this premise was that municipalities exert control over runoff volume through their land development and infrastructure policies, practices and actions,” states Peter Law. “The Guidebook applied a science-based understanding to develop the water balance methodology and establish performance targets.”

Seattle is promoting new and helpful alternatives to traditional stormwater management.

The Water Bucket Website Partnership reports a 45% increase in user visits after two years of Google Analytics monitoring. The rolling 6-month average exceeds 4000 visits per month. “We attribute this large jump to the cumulative enhancements that the partnership has been systematically implementing,” stated Mike Tanner.

“Volume-based criteria can only be rightly developed by understanding the long-term flux of water volume; and the only way to accurately do this is through well-constructed continuous simulation modeling that accounts for drying processes between storms,” writes Andy Reese.

Studies in Salt Lake County, Utah, help determine whether first flush exists in the region and the implications for choosing stormwater treatment systems.

In a presentation to regional politicians, Paddy O’Reilly stressed the need to clean the region’s beaches and work with natural water cycles; and asked the Capital Regional District (CRD) to implement fundamental changes in how the region deals with rainwater and stormwater runoff. brought forward a series of recommendations to the Joint Meeting hosted by the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee with the Environmental Sustainability Committee.

“Physical data is required to undertake the design of any drainage system. This is true whether one uses the WBM or any of a number of alternative analysis systems or computer software packages. The WBM uses the information gathered as part of a normal design process. It does not require the user to have more site information than required by any other system of design,” explained Jim Dumont.

“In addition to interviewing several experts and community leaders with knowledge of rainwater and stormwater issues, the film introduces the ELC report that offers a number of innovative solutions, many of which could be applied in the CRD region and beyond,” states Holly Pattison.

Nelson Jatel (120p) – OBWB Watershed Stewardship Director
The goal of this workshop is to share positive and innovative developments in rainwater management and to discuss how barriers to change are being overcome in communities in B.C. and beyond.