Speakers included:
1) Andjela Knezevic-Stevanovic, Ph.D., P.Eng., Director, Environmental Management & Quality Control
Liquid Waste Services, MetroVancouver
Stormwater Management in the Metro Vancouver Region
Andjela spoke about stormwater management in the region and a role of Metro Vancouver, regional government and a major utility, in this process. The talk also covered some challenges and opportunities in managing water quality and maintaining watershed health in a versatile and growing urban region.
2) Jeannie Lee, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. , Project Engineer, Drainage Section – Engineering Department, City of Surrey
Implications of Future Rainfall Trends to Municipal Infrastructure
Municipal infrastructure is traditionally designed on the premise that historical rainfall data effectively predicts future needs. Jeannie presented a series of rainfall studies completed by the City of Surrey to better assess these projections.
3) David Lumb, P.Eng., Senior Project Manager, Kerr Wood Leidal
Integrated Stormwater Management
The question of “What is Integrated Stormwater Management?” was addressed.
4) Laurel Morgan, M.Sc., P.Eng., P.E., Project Manager, Kerr Wood Leidal
Source Controls on Poorly Draining Soils
In past 15 years or so, KWL has done more than 25 Integrated Stormwater Management Plans throughout the lower mainland and on Vancouver Island. One of the recommendations in pretty much every single one of those ISMPs is the use some stormwater source controls to mitigate impacts of urban and suburban development on the watershed. But throughout that time and still today, we get asked, well, but do source controls really work? Here? In BC? And the answer really is yes, absolutely, we do have proof of this. We have designed and built according to stormwater source controls in poorly draining soils, on steep slopes, in areas that get a lot of rain and in areas that have ambitious environmental criteria because of sensitive habitat. We have monitored the sites and we have found that source controls can work, even in adverse conditions.