Stormwater Funding Feasibility Study

On March 29, 2022   /   Concerns, Stormwater, Stormwater Funding Feasibility, Studies, VRS Comments, Water Quality  

The VRS recognizes the importance of finding a more equitable and sustainable way to pay for stormwater management. However, it would be best to do this by charging an additional surtax on properties with large impervious surfaces. In addition, the City should offer Green Tax Credits for those property owners removing hard surfaces and incorporating naturalized areas and green infrastructure that filters and absorbs stormwater where it falls. These measures would help fund the increased stormwater costs, discourage grey infrastructure, and encourage green infrastructure to lessen stormwater runoff.

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Ramsey Lake Subwatershed Study and Master Plan – Phase 2 Report

On May 1, 2020   /   Blue Green Algae, Climate Change, Concerns, Drinking Water, Heavy Metals, Junction Creek, Natural Heritage, Ramsey Lake, Septic Systems, Stormwater, Studies, VRS Comments, Water Quality, Watershed Studies  

If the design objective is to meet and provide peak flow control for storm events, it is necessary to plan beyond the 1:100-year peak flow, and instead plan for the new norm of a 1:1000-year flood event.  Planning for the appropriate peak flow is crucial to building climate resilience and meeting the demand over the full lifecycle of the infrastructure.  If an inadequate peak flow formula is used it could result in significant additional costs to the City if it has to repair or tear up failing infrastructure to rebuild and increase capacity before it has reached its end-life.  “Even a 1000-year return period has a 5% risk of being equalled or exceeded in a 50-year period.”

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Junction Creek Subwatershed Study and Stormwater Master Plan – Final Report

On February 10, 2020   /   Climate Change, Concerns, Junction Creek, Stormwater, Watershed Studies  

The Report indicates that “the anticipated influence of climate change on precipitation is steeped in uncertainty with future projections ranging from a minimal increase to almost a 250% increase”, and yet the stormwater planning only ranges from a 1:5 to a 1:100-year flood event.  The Report admits that “this range represents a significant challenge to the municipality to understand and integrate into its planning decision making process”.

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Official Plan Review – Phase 2

On June 17, 2019   /   Blue Green Algae, Climate Change, Drinking Water, Natural Heritage, Septic Systems, Stormwater, VRS Comments, Waste Water, Water Quality  

The extremes of climate change will affect the operation of critical infrastructure such as water and wastewater treatment plants, sewers, the electrical grid, public transport and roads that are sensitive to temperature and weather thresholds.  Beyond these thresholds, infrastructure may have reduced capacity or may not function at all.

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Water & Wastewater Master Plan – VRS Comments

On May 25, 2018   /   Concerns, Drinking Water, Stormwater, Waste Water, Water Quality  

The importance of creating, maintaining and protecting natural infrastructure such as wetlands, swales and vegetated buffers cannot be overstated when it comes to flood management and filtering stormwater runoff. Policies supporting this concept would go a long way towards reducing some of the stormwater infiltration into the wastewater collection systems. 

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Junction Creek Subwatershed Study and Stormwater Master Plan

On April 16, 2018   /   Concerns, Junction Creek, Stormwater, Studies, VRS Comments, Water Quality, Watershed Studies  

Watershed and subwatershed studies should include water quality and water quantity considerations to help maintain and enhance natural freshwater systems, including fisheries and aquatic habitat.  These considerations should be guided by commonly accepted and held principles, including an ecosystem-based approach, a landscape-based analysis, cumulative effects, the precautionary approach, adaptive management, and sustainable development.

What are the goals and objectives of this study?  There is very little information about the subwatershed study, but instead appears to be primarily designed to manage stormwater run-off to prevent flooding and development impacts.

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