Water Management
Preparing for Variable Lake Levels: The Dynamic Great Lakes
With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, lake levels have a huge impact on Michigan’s coastal communities and economies. Lake levels affect coastal properties and infrastructure, as well as plant and wildlife habitat. They also affect shipping, recreation and manufacturing.
Guelph Water Conservation Programming (2012)
The City of Guelph, Ontario, is vulnerable to water shortages as they are not located nearby to a major source of water, a challenge that may be exacerbated by proposed climate changes in the region. To prevent such shortages, the City has established incentives, regulations and water conservation programs to relieve the strain on the groundwater source. These efforts are guided by a Water Supply Master Plan that commits the City to achieving a 20% reduction from the 2006 average daily water consumption by 2025.
The case study describes the elements of the City's strategy and discusses the challenges of maintaining public engagement in such a prolonged program. It concludes by identifying several lessons learned that may be of value for municipalities that face similar challenges.
Sustainable Municipal Water Management: Measuring Progress and Reporting Publicly
In the face of accumulating impacts including urbanization and climate change, municipalities are increasingly embracing an integrated approach to water management that captures the full spectrum of a community’s impact on water. This approach cuts across traditional municipal delivery areas, to include infrastructure design and operations, land use planning and approvals, public education and participation, emergency planning and response, pollution prevention, and habitat and shoreline restoration.
Thunder Bay Cogeneration (2012)
The City of Thunder Bay, Ontario, retrofitted and expanded its wastewater treatment plant in 2005 to accommodate greater volumes of wastewater. New equipment and infrastructure was constructed as part of the City's Pollution Prevention and Control Plan (PPCP). The new design has led to greater efficiency and has boosted resiliency and adaptive capacity within the plant.
The case study reviews the features of the PPCP and discusses the benefits of the newly designed plant. The lessons that were identified provide insight for practitioners that are planning to update major infrastructural assets.
Hamilton Conservation Authority Climate Change Strategy (2012)
The City of Hamilton, Ontario, has experienced several cases of extreme weather over the past decade including flooding, drought and wind events. Recognizing that these events are expected to increase in both frequency and intensity as the climate changes, the Hamilton Conservation Authority decided to develop a climate change adaptation strategy based on a watershed approach.
The case study explores the major tenets of the strategy and discusses the challenges, process, next steps and lessons learned. These elements may assist other municipalities and conservation authorities in developing their own adaptation strategy with a watershed approach.
Bioretention Swale and Rain Gardens – Thunder Bay
The City of Thunder Bay, Ontario developed a bioretention swale for its water treatment plant. This Low-Impact Development (LID) project uses vegetation to filter, slow, capture, and infiltrate stormwater before it reaches Lake Superior.
Involving Homeowners in Urban Flood Risk Reduction: City of London, Ontario (2011)
The City of London, Ontario has experienced many flooding events over the past few decades, often related to extreme precipitation events and seasonal thaw. Involving homeowners in adaptation strategies is a key factor in their success.
This case study developed by the Institute of Catastrophic Loss Reduction explores homeowner perceptions on basement flooding and the mitigative behaviours of residents in the Sherwood Forest neighbourhood of London, Ontario. The results of this study are provided and several recommendations, next steps, challenges and lessons learned were identified as well.
This case study can provide insight for municipalities into the challenges involved in engaging homeowners and residents in climate change adaptation, and the best ways to achieve successful participation in municipal programs.
Stormwater Strategies: Cities Prepare Aging Infrastructure for Climate Change
Although managers typically think first of the effects on drinking water supplies, many are realizing that their wastewater systems (the focus of this article) also will be keenly affected, with profound potential consequences for public health. In many places, these systems are already under strain from population growth, development, underfunding, and maintenance backlogs. At a time when North American cities are just beginning to assess what altered weather patterns may bring, a handful, such as Toronto, have committed to upgrading their wastewater systems with climate change in mind.
Stormwater Management in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin: Cities Charting the Way Forward
A presentation on the stormwater management in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin: theory, survey results and examples of good practices.
Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change on Stormwater and Floodplain Management – A Preview of Adaptation Plans and Practices
This study aims to summarize what has been done to date in adapting stormwater and floodplain management practices to prepare for the impacts of climate change, both in Canada and elsewhere. The specific focus of this review was on identifying adaptative approaches to the planning and design of stormwater management and drainage infrastructure, as well as changes in land use and floodplain management practices to account for the potential impact of climate change on drainage infrastructure and flood vulnerable areas.