Victoria Rainwater Management Standards Now With DIY! Laurel Morgan, M.Sc., P.Eng. Adam Steele, B.Sc.
Overview 2 Presentation City of Victoria s new Stormwater Utility What, why Rainwater Rewards Intro to Rainwater Management Standards Rainwater Management Standards specifics Sizing Design philosophy
A New Stormwater Utility 3 City of Victoria Moves to User Pay Stormwater Very recent launch First bills issued in 2016 Revenue-Neutral Shift Property value to Impact on system More: Equitable way of billing Stable funding source Sustainable/representative way of billing for Stormwater Enables: stormwater education us to provide incentives for Rainwater Management
A New Stormwater Utility 4 City of Victoria Moves to User Pay Stormwater Fees Assessed by: 4 factors: Impervious area Frontage Intensity Codes of Practice Property type: Low density residential (4 or less) Multi-Family Residential (5 or more) Civic/Institutional Commercial/Industrial
A New Stormwater Utility 5 Rainwater Rewards Incentive Program Went through many iterations Based on: feedback from stakeholder engagement: Sliding scale Rebates More options Results of Case Studies 6 month process to install 2m2 of pavers Needed to install 2+ RMMs to achieve max credit when 1 could achieve same Rainwater Management Planning Tool
A New Stormwater Utility 6 Rainwater Rewards Incentive Program To encourage Rainwater Management Sliding scale of incentives based on: Effectiveness of RMM Impervious area treated Property type Low Density Residential One-time rebates up to $1500 On-going credits of 10% All other Property Types Up to 40% credit Up to 10% additional for Education
A New Stormwater Utility 7 Process Streamlining Removed RMMs from Development Permit Requirements One stop shop No fees As simple a process as we could
A New Stormwater Utility 8 Rainwater Management Standards The basis of Inspections/Approvals under Rainwater Rewards Objectives: Primary Quality improvement Secondary Quantity reduction 2 versions DIY and Professional Some content the same, but DIY provides more prescriptive guidance, fewer options; Pro provides less step by step, more options, allows alterations RMMs: Rain Barrel, Cistern, Rain Garden, Bioswale, Infiltration Chamber, Permeable Pavers, Green Roof, other
A New Stormwater Utility 9 Rainwater Management Standards Why DIY? Education / help to establish rainwater management as a common practice Make Rainwater Management as accessible as possible Got feedback from homeowners wanting guidance Can be used to give homeowners knowledge with which to intelligently discuss options with contractor
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Rainwater Management Standards 11 What Are the Rainwater Management Standards? For property owners and designers understand HOW TO meet the requirements of the Rainwater Rewards Program including: Select a Rainwater Management Method Sizing to meet target Design of functional and safe facility Construction of functional and durable facility Maintenance requirements
Standard of Performance 12 What Will an RMM achieve? Target: 32 mm rain in 24 hr period Equivalent to: 90% of average annual rainfall 72% of 2 year 24 hour storm Based on rainfall data from EC s Gonzales Heights weather station Consistent with guidance from DFO Program emphasis on Water Quality
Develop Detailed Assessment for Site 13 What Method Works Best for Site? Identify factors which will influence selection of Rainwater Management Method and design o Site characteristics o Challenges o Limitations o Opportunities o Constraints Limitations for concerns and suspected hazards For use by homeowners and professionals
Develop Detailed Assessment for Site 14 What Method Works Best for Site? Identify factors which will influence selection of RMM and design o Site characteristics o Challenges o Limitations o Opportunities o Constraints For use by homeowners and professionals global concerns Identifies restrictions for different RMMs Limitations for concerns and suspected hazards
DIY Design Guidance 15 How Can a Homeowner Design a Rain Garden? Most guidance available geared toward professionals, not homeowners Generally, not recommended that just anybody design and install facilities But, with the right guidance, and limitations, why not?
Appropriate for DIY? 16 City Program Allows DIY for Some Facilities DIY needed to be: o Easy to understand o Easy to construct o Widely available materials Simpler RMMs allowed for DIY o Rain Garden o Permeable Paving o Rain Barrel - Cistern o Infiltration Chamber
Can I do DIY? 17
Sizing and Benefits for RMMs 18 How Do You Size a Rain Garden? Goals: o sizing meets the City s chosen performance target o provides benefits to the City and the environment Benefits: o Water Quality Treatment o Capture (infiltration or evapotranspiration) o Re-Use Sizing Factor Sizes facility as a % of impervious catchment area
Sizing for DIY Standards 19 How Do You Size a Rain Garden? Rain Garden (m 2 ) = 5% x Impervious Area (m 2 ) Design without reservoir - primarily treatment Design with reservoir treatment and infiltration Standard: o Depth o Side slopes, o Overflow to storm sewer o Materials
Sizing for DIY Standards 20
DIY Design Standards and Detailed Guidance 21 DIY Options Limited, but with lots of detailed information Includes standard designs for each RMM o Details of elements, connections, parts Step-by-step construction guidance o How do you build this?
Step-By-Step Construction for DIY 22
PRO Standards Different Focus 23 Professionals Need Guidance Too! Less detailed How-To guidance More guidance for how to design with different variations All designs must achieve City s rainwater management target Assist City in reviewing, accepting designs for the Rainwater Rewards Program
Sizing for Professional Standards 24 How Do You Size a Rain Garden? Provides options for treatment only, and treatment plus capture Provides equations for calculating the size factor Allows many more options for variation in: Design Materials Assumptions Sizing Factor = 24 x + x 32 1 1
Rainwater Rewards Program 25 Program Initiated in May 2015 Rainwater Management Standards Finalized Guidance available on City s website, along with application forms Separate documents available for DIY and PRO Website: www.victoria.ca/stormwater
Acknowledgements 26 Thanks To: The City of Victoria: Adam Steele,B.Sc., Stormwater Management Specialist. Murdoch degreeff Inc. (MDI): Scott Murdoch, Registered Landscape Architect, R.P.Bio. Key KWL staff: David Zabil, P.Eng. Sara Pour, EIT
Questions? 27 Contact: Laurel Morgan: lmorgan@kwl.ca Adam Steele: asteele@victoria.ca