Parksville Primer

GW Solutions has participated in the creation of a “Primer” document that supports implementation of Living Water Smart principles in the local government setting. It is written for expert and non-expert audiences. It identifies three elements of the Water Balance, namely: rainfall, groundwater and streamflow. The Water Balance is short-circuited when the land surface is hardened and below-ground flow paths to streams are eliminated, such that:

• Too Much Water: During wet weather periods, increased runoff volumes over longer durations cause stream erosion and instability.

• Too Little Water: During dry weather periods, groundwater-fed baseflows are diminished.

• Do Business Differently: Both conditions have financial implications and sustainability consequences over time.

The Primer introduces the issue of the ‘unfunded infrastructure liability’. Viewing the watershed through an asset management lens