Comox Valley WaterWise

The CVRD Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) sets out a general approach to infrastructure and development that can support rainwater management at the watershed scale. The RGS also acknowledges, implicitly, that there may be limits to the ability of the region and its natural systems to accommodate growth:

"Infrastructure extensions should be guided by an understanding of where and how growth should occur, considering natural capacity, environmental impact, costs and efficiency, and to resolve health risk implications from failing onsite systems."

In addition, the CVRD Regional Growth Strategy contains a number of provisions that specifically support aspects of integrated watershed management within the Regional District: Objectives 2-A, 3C-2, 3C-7, 5B-1, 5B-4, 5C-1,5C-2, 5C-3, 5C-4 and 6A-2

The CVRD Regional Sustainability Strategy contains several goals and objectives that are supportive of integrated watershed management such as Objective 2.1.3, Goal 3.7, and Objective 3.7.1

While these goals and objectives do not have legal force, they represent support for integrated watershed management framed in a broader sustainability context, and may provide a link to other sustainability initiatives undertaken in the CVRD, by the regional district or by member municipalities.

The official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw No. 337 policies generally appear to support an integrated approach to managing rainwater from the site level to the watershed level.

For example: Regional Objective and Policies

Natural Environment Objectives

"7. To implement rainwater management practices and policies that preserve and restore the natural water balance during development and redevelopment in order to maintain and improve watershed health and protect downstream properties and infrastructure."

Within the Regional Objectives and Policies section there are 9 policies specifically under the Natural Environment - watershed management/protection policy. Check them out.

An example of relevant local area plan is the development of the Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) for the Union Bay Improvement District area, and Royston, which addresses water quality, water conservation and on-site rainwater management for the proposed wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).

At its May 29, 2012 board meeting, the CVRD adopted the following recommendations which directly support water conservation and help minimize wastewater flows to the new south regional WWTP.

*Waste water user rates for a new south regional sewer treatment service be linked to water use within the participating communities.

*Users of a new south regional wastewater treatment plant utilize “high efficiency” toilets.