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May 6, 2025

Webinar Topic: Lessons Learned Through the Development of Policy, Procedure, and Standards for Non-Conventional Municipally Assumed Stormwater Management Facilities

Webinar Description: To address the increased demand for innovative stormwater solutions, the City of Vaughan developed a Policy, Procedure, and Design Criteria and Standards (the Policy) for evaluating and implementing non-conventional stormwater management facilities (SWMFs), such as underground tanks and low impact development facilities, for municipal use. This new Policy allows for the installation of underground SWMFs in parks, enhancing land efficiency through dual-use park blocks, and includes a financial component to offset operations and maintenance (O&M) costs to the City.

The City reviewed existing policies, procedures, and background documents from southern Ontario, alongside their interim policy from June 2022. Key evaluation factors were lifecycle considerations, O&M needs, dual land uses, compliance with SWM criteria, and economic, environmental, and social impacts, which formed the basis of a Technical Review report to support the Policy’s development.

A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was formed, comprising internal departments (Parks, Operations, Planning, Legal, Financial) and an external multi-disciplinary stakeholder group, including municipalities, conservation authorities, and industry professionals. This engagement process aimed to create a Policy that enabled innovative, effective, and maintainable SWM solutions, while addressing external industry pressures.

Challenges included determining an offset fee for developers to cover inspection, and sediment clean-out over 50 years, defining the stormwater criteria for the tanks, and evaluating product types and materials based on maintenance, lifecycle, and land use demands.

The completed Policy, Procedure, Criteria, and Standards was presented and accepted Vaughan City Council in summer of 2024, and is currently being used by City of Vaughan staff.  

Date: May 23^rd, 2025

Time: 1:00 PM

Where: Virtual

About the Speaker: Rebecca Turbitt, P.Eng. is a Project Manager and Associate at Resilient Consulting with 12 years of experience in Stormwater Management and Water Resources Engineering.  Rebecca specializes in detailed water resources and stormwater management design, floodplain mapping, hydrologic and hydraulic modelling, erosion mitigation and sediment control. With her time at Resilient, Rebecca has focused her career on Municipal Water Resources Engineering, including peer reviews, design and construction of municipal infrastructure, and development of policies, procedures, criteria, and standards for stormwater management solutions. Rebecca is also qualified under Ministry of Transportation Ontario’s Registry, Appraisal and Qualification System (or RAQS) for Drainage and Hydrology engineering and frequently completes hydrologic and hydraulic for highway drainage systems and crossings.

 

CLICK HERE to register for the webinar.