by Freya Keddie - Moss Rock Review Sept/Oct Issue - with permission

In 1843, James Douglas declared our region “a perfect ‘Eden’ in the midst of the dreary
wilderness of the north west coast.” What he actually saw were the camas fields created by First Nations, a vision no doubt enhanced by lovely springs, brooks and wetlands. Many of Eden’s streams now function as storm drains. Wetlands have long since been drained, and most of the fields and forests replaced with impervious surfaces (roofs, roads and concrete); we have literally paved paradise.

Less than 1% of rain falling on a forested area becomes runoff. In residential areas, about 25% of rainfall becomes “urban runoff,” quickly whisked away in greater volumes and in a much dirtier state than from natural landscapes. Every winter, urban streams are damaged by torrents of polluted stormwater.

The speed and volume of stormwater also wreaks havoc in the maze of pipes hidden beneath the city. According to local climatologist, Rod Chilton, “…extremely heavy rainfalls caused by moisture-laden weather systems slamming into the south coast are a frequent problem here.” Repeated heavy rainfalls events can saturate the ground, infiltrating through cracks and holes into our aging sewer pipes. Stormwater (inflow) enters sewer pipes via roof drain downspouts, foundation drains, storm drain cross connections and holes in manhole covers. This inflow and infiltration, or I&I, can exceed pipe capacity, causing sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).

The Uplands area has a problem with its “combined sewers,” designed to collect rainwater runoff and domestic sewage in the same pipe. Heavy rainfall can cause combined sewer overflows (CSOs), fouling Willows and Cadboro Bay beaches.

Stormwater management is also a big issue for the CRD sewage treatment project. Treatment plants, pump stations and sewer lines must all have the capacity to handle the maximum expected flow. Long-term strategies include I&I reduction, combined sewer separation and wet weather flow treatment, but it may take “decades” to achieve, so there will likely be a “significant wet weather I&I component to the flow” at Clover Point for some time yet. We could be paying some private company to treat stormwater along with sewage for many years to come.

Homeowners could help to reduce the amount of stormwater during heavy rains. While we wait for costly infrastructure repairs, our communities could be engaged in pilot projects to study the use of green roofs, rain barrels, rain gardens and other “on-site” stormwater management measures. For example:

Thunder Bay’s “downspout disconnection” program alleviated basement flooding by reducing peak flows that caused SSOs and also eliminated the expense of unnecessarily treating storm water at the city’s wastewater treatment facility.

Seattle is investigating the use of residential “cisterns” (large barrels) to keep storm water out of its combined sewer system. Storage capacity ranges from 300 to 1000 gallons, depending on the homeowner’s roof size. In summer the stored water is used for irrigation, but during heavy winter storms the cisterns catch rainwater and then slowly release it later, helping to prevent CSOs.”

Rain gardens are a fast-growing trend in the American midwest. Websites, pilot projects, grants and workshops help citizens become “part of the solution to pollution” by disconnecting their downspouts. Artists auction decorated rain barrels, gardeners enter competitions, and “garden angels” donate plants for those who can’t afford them, all fostering a culture of community while increasing awareness of stormwater issues.

The upcoming municipal elections are a perfect time to raise the issue of green infrastructure to manage stormwater problems. Man-made Edens can indeed be functional and beautiful while serving community needs.

Freya Keddie received this year's "World Water Day Award" from the Greater Victoria Water Watch Coalition


Editor's note:
The City of Victoria has replaced hundreds of undersized, road-side catch basins in high-traffic areas in order to improve the quality of stormwater discharged into the harbour. (Victoria was the first municipality in the Capital Region to adopt the model Stormwater Bylaw, and the first to adopt Codes of Practice regulating what can and cannot go into the stormwater system.)

Most stormwater in the Capital Region, however, is discharged to waterways untreated. Rainwater swept away from our homes is channeled down storm sewers where it mixes with oily street runoff. This toxic brew may first drain into streams or inlets, but eventually it all ends up in the ocean.