From Rain to Resource: Managing Stormwater in a Changing Climate Workshop (Kelowna, BC)

Offered: Thursday-Friday, October 28 and 29, 2010

Keynote Presenter: Brock Dolman

Location: Kelowna, British Columbia

To Register: www.bcwwa.org/seminars/RtoR.htm

RAIN TO RESOURCE WORKSHOP AIMS TO REFOCUS THINKING ON TRADITIONAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Kelowna, BC - The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) and the BC Water & Waste Association (BCWWA) are co-hosting “From Rain to Resource: Managing Stormwater in a Changing Climate” on October 28 and 29, 2010, in Kelowna. The goal of the workshop is to share positive and innovative developments in rainwater management and to discuss how barriers to change are being overcome in communities in BC and beyond. A tradeshow will also be held to enable innovative companies to share the latest developments in rainwater management technologies.

“I’ve had a few people ask about the title of the conference,” remarked Anna Warwick Sears, executive director of the OBWB. “In the old days, we used to try to get the stormwater in to the storm sewers as fast as possible, and run it into the lake. But rain really is a resource if you handle it properly. To have a sustainable water supply we need more emphasis on keeping pollution out of our lakes and streams, with less run off during storms. We also need to recharge the aquifers under our neighbourhoods. This workshop is about how to do all of these things by following the example of other communities. The long-term benefits to the environment and the tax savings are huge.”

The workshop will feature keynote speaker, Brock Dolman. Dolman is the Director of the California-based WATER Institute. He has been featured on many radio programs and in award-winning films, including The 11th Hour by Leonardo DiCaprio, and has published numerous articles on sustainable watershed management.

The workshop is designed for people whose work touches on stormwater management, including planners, engineers, and landscape architects from government and private industry, as well as those who develop stormwater policy, like elected officials and senior municipal staff. Members of the public are also welcome to attend.

Best practices and tools to deal with various situations, such as steep slopes, parking lots, and commercial developments, will be showcased on October 28 through case studies. The presentations on October 29 will integrate the perspectives of the people working on the ground and those developing and adopting policy. Two tracks that focus on similar topics but with a “technical” or “policy” angle will be provided in the morning. In the afternoon, delegates will attend the keynote speaker presentation and participate in a plenary session to stimulate further discussion and shared understanding.

For more information and to register, see bcwwa.org/seminars/RtoR.htm.