Get LID into the ground! Best bets for community buy

Get LID into the ground! Best bets for
community buy-in from RAIN and
Depave Paradise
Cheryl Evans, RAIN Program Manager, REEP Green Solutions
Clara Blakelock, Manager of Water Programs, Green Communities Canada
Overview
• The stormwater problem
• RAIN Community Solutions:
– RAIN Program Overview
– Depave Paradise:
– RAIN KW
• Lessons learned
• Looking forward
Green Communities
• national association of
community organizations
• celebrating 20th
anniversary
• focus on positive action
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home energy incentive
Well Aware
Canada Walks
RAIN Community Solutions
The problem
urbanization + climate 
• stormwater challenges
• flooding, insurance
• liability
• infrastructure damage
• infrastructure deficit
• water pollution
• erosion
• aquifer depletion
The problem. The solution.
It takes 15 minutes for runoff to reach the nearest water body.
Everybody lives on the shoreline – connected via the storm sewer.
Everybody can be part of the solution.
The solution
• Reduce runoff
• Prevent pollution
• Restore natural
hydrological processes
with infiltration
landscapes
• Replenish aquifers
• Focus on existing built
environment (not just
new development)
We help
Mobilize community buy-in
for innovative stormwater
solutions to:
• manage rain where it falls
• reduce runoff, filter waste
• build climate resilience
Community-based social marketing
• Face to face, person to
person communication
• Identifying and
addressing motivations
and barriers
• Peer to peer influence
• Piloting, surveying and
testing
 capture, store, slow
release of rainwater
 maintain, enhance
urban canopy (trees slow the
volume of rain by 30%)
Infiltration landscapes
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Rain gardens
Permeable paving
Depaving
Infiltration galleries/
soakaway pits
Burnsville Rain Garden
implementation study (Minnesota)
reduced volumes by 90%
• Commercial carwash
• Compost instead of
chemical fertilizer
• Pet waste digesters
• Non-toxic
alternatives for
traction
• Switch to safer
household and
personal products
Activities
• community engagement
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outreach, speaking
workshops, events
demonstration projects
site specific advice
residential/commercial/
institutional
• contractor
training/referrals
• tours
Depave Paradise
• 10 events in 8 Ontario
communities from 20122014
• Over 1,000 m2 of
pavement removed
• Dozens of media hits
including national
exposure
• Funding from RBC Blue
Water and Intact
Insurance
The concept
• Inspired by Depave
(Portland)
• Hand removal of unwanted
pavement by volunteers
Project sites
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Calgary
Winnipeg
Montreal
Collingwood
Peterborough
Hamilton
Kingston
Toronto
Mississauga
Ottawa
Depave profile: Peterborough
• Brock Street Mission
• Downtown
Peterborough
• Vulnerable population
• Unwelcoming, grey
streetscape
• Downspouts
discharging onto
pavement
The event
• Depaving and planting,
June 25-26, 2014
• Volunteers removed 62
m2 of asphalt
• Rain barrels installed to
collect roof runoff
• Mayor, councillors,
media in attendance
After
• Garden of native plants
thrives under low
maintenance
• Appreciated by
residents and
passersby
Depave: what makes a great event
• High profile site –
visible, with
community interest
• Invested site hosts
• Planning with the
community in mind
• Having something for
everyone and a fun,
party atmosphere
REEP RAIN
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Environmental nonprofit organization
Founded in 1999 by
UW & the Elora Centre
for Environmental
Excellence
Working together to
make sustainability the
norm
Local partnership and funding
• 2011-2013 Showcasing
Water Innovations Grant
through Ontario Ministry
of Environment
• 2011-2015 Kitchener and
Waterloo Partnership
• 2014-2015 Cambridge
Partnership
RAIN Showcase Event 2013
Stormwater Utilities and Credits
Residential
• $42-$156/yr
• Up to 45% credit on
fees
• Volume
• Max credit for 3,201 L
or more per rainfall
event
Stormwater Utilities and Credits
Non-residential
• $120-$6,200 Waterloo
• $160-$24,100 Kitchener
• Up to 45% credit
– 25% volume
– 15% pollution
– 5% education
Outreach Activities
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Community events
Door-to-door campaigns
RAIN Barrel Sales
RAIN Educational
Workshops
RAIN Home Visits
RAIN Business Visits
Best Practice Tours
Community Awards
Outreach Activities
• Demonstration Projects
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$4,000 grant
Coordination support
Media coverage
Case Study
Awards
Monitoring
Most Successful Overall Initiatives
• Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaC5m0Jl78I
Most Successful Residential Initiatives
• City Utility bills
• RAIN builds
relationships with
property owners
• Customized support
• Peer assistance
• Hands-on learning
• Positive messaging
Least Successful Residential Initiatives
• Broad advertising eg
Newspaper ads
• Negative messages
• Broad environmental
messages
• Door-to-door
messaging
Most Successful Non-Residential
Initiatives
• City direct mailers
• RAIN builds
relationships with
property owners
• Customized support
• Peer assistance
• Hands-on learning
• Risk avoidance
Least Successful Non-Residential
Initiatives
• Broad advertising eg
Newspaper ads
• Assuming all
businesses have same
needs
• Forgetting operations
and maintenance
• Focus on stormwater
credits
Lessons Learned
• Don’t assume! Do your
research.
• Each property owner has
unique motivations
• Find key influencers
• Multi stakeholder
partnerships work best
• Low fees and credits not
key motivator - dig deeper
• Learn most from failures
• Patience is required
Looking forward
• Broader calls and
participation in stories and
awards- peer to peer
• Kitchener Stormwater
Master Plan 2016
• Continue to customize
work based on needs of
Cities, property owners
• Program continuous
improvement
• Grow the program
Working together to leave a Grand
legacy for our children
Raincommunitysolutions.ca
• Online community for
knowledge sharing
• Biweekly stormwater
bulletin
• Webinar series
Want to know more?
CLARA BLAKELOCK
MANAGER OF WATER PROGRAMS
WWW.RAINCOMMUNITYSOLUTIONS.CA
705 745-7479 X159
CBLAKELOCK@GREENCOMMUNITIESCANADA.ORG
CHERYL EVANS
RAIN PROGRAM MANAGER
WWW.REEPGREEN.CA
519 744-6583 X224
CEVANS@REEPGREEN.CA