A Soft Path Strategy for Fergus-Elora, Ontario

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1 A Soft Path Strategy for Fergus-Elora, Ontario A Soft Path for Water Case Study By Carol Maas & Susanne Porter-Bopp POLIS Discussion Series Paper June 2011

2 This project has received support from the Government of Ontario's Drinking Water Stewardship Program. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Province of Ontario of the contents of this material.

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report outlines a real- world application of the water soft path approach to water management in the Township of Centre Wellington, including the communities of Fergus and Elora, located in the Grand River watershed in Ontario. The water soft path is a new model for water management that focuses primarily on water conservation and efficiency, and has the potential to ensure long- term sustainability, and social and economic prosperity. This soft path pilot project was initiated by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) in partnership with the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance, the Township of Centre Wellington (TCW), the Elora Environment Centre, and the University of Waterloo to assess the potential to improve water sustainability planning and implementation in the region. The objectives of the project were to: enhance community capacity for developing and implementing water conservation programs and long- term water supply planning; produce a detailed water soft path implementation strategy to assist the Township of Centre Wellington in integrating water conservation into its proposed Water Supply Master Plan; and develop a plan that could be shared with other communities and implemented on a watershed and provincial scale. Growing Communities, Increasing Water Stress Fergus and Elora are two picturesque communities situated within the Township of Centre Wellington in the Grand River watershed in Southwestern Ontario. The Grand River meanders through 38 communities in the watershed and is valued for its variety of recreational opportunities. However, the Grand River is under considerable stress from municipal water takings, sewage discharge, stormwater overflow, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff. Fergus and Elora are rapidly growing communities. Population and water use are anticipated to approximately double between 2008 and Indeed, if future municipal demands increase to between 8% and 10% of the total watershed budget, the Township s water supply availability will be at risk according to the recently completed Water Quantity Stress Assessment (GRCA, 2009). The region is dependent on groundwater and the existing groundwater supply is projected to require expansion in 2028 (see Figure i). i

4 Figure i. Future projections of water demands in the Township of Centre Wellington. Each bar disaggregates average daily water demand by sector, including residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial (IC&I), and non- revenue, and illustrates the additional volume used on the highest water- use day (maximum daily demand). Water demand for the base year, 2008, is compared to the interim planning year of 2028, when demand approaches supply capacity, and to the design year of ii

5 The Soft Path for Water in the Township of Centre Wellington Water supplies are not endless, and continuing to expand water takings from centralized sources and discharge large volumes of wastewater into sensitive bodies of water is unsustainable. Water soft path planning embodies a new approach that focuses on identifying alternative sustainable solutions to secure the water that is needed for communities to flourish. Water efficiency and conservation measures, such as locally available water supply sources (e.g. rainwater) and recycled sources (e.g. grey water1 and reclaimed wastewater2) offer a more sustainable alternative to building new centralized supply sources. Efficiency and conservation measures can be thought of as the best source of new water, and the technologies and practices required to realize this vision of water sustainability already exist today (see Figure ii). Figure ii. Today s water sensitive technologies include efficient clothes washers (top), ultra high efficiency toilets, like the Proficiency 3 L toilet (middle left), products that have been certified as water efficient by programs such as WaterSense (middle right), and rainwater harvesting technologies, like the Bushman systems sold by local supplier EcoShift (bottom). Photos: Casey Fleser, WaterSense, and 1 Grey water is water collected in the home from lavatory faucets and showers, but not from toilets or kitchen faucets. Reclaimed wastewater treats all wastewater (including sewage) from homes, businesses, and institutions at a centralized location. 2 iii

6 This report outlines two different soft path scenarios for the Township of Centre Wellington: the vision to Use the Same Amount of Water Tomorrow We Use Today and an interim target of No Infrastructure Expansion. The vision we recommend for TCW is Use the Same Amount of Water Tomorrow We Use Today. This scenario accommodates all future population and economic growth to 2040, and beyond, using the same amount of water used 1 in Quantitatively, meeting this vision in Fergus- Elora will ensure that the current maximum daily demand of 7,868 m 3 /d and the average daily demand of 5,159 m 3 /d are not exceeded in As such, these figures form the numerical target that guides the soft path approach in TCW in this report (see Figure iii). 18,000 40,000 16,000 35,000 Maximum Daily Demand (m 3 /d) 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 Existing Source Capacity 13,334 m 3 /d 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 Population Total MDD Interim Target Soft Path Population Figure iii. Soft path trajectory of maximum daily demand in Fergus- Elora. The red triangles illustrate the path of future water use under the Business as Usual scenario; the green crosses illustrate the interim target of No Infrastructure Expansion ; the yellow stars identify the soft path vision of Use the Same Water Tomorrow We Use Today. The blue circles depict population growth over time. The full soft path plan outlined in this report includes a series of six steps. These range from establishing an interdisciplinary team and setting targets based on a desired future vision, to monitoring, reviewing and revising the plan. A series of sample first steps to move the community towards the water soft path has also been proposed (Box I). iv

7 Choosing a Better Path The Township of Centre Wellington is at a crossroads. As demonstrated in this report, a water future different from its water past is possible. Financial, technological, legal, and social tools are available to address water issues in the region before they reach crisis proportions. The soft path is not only good for the Grand River; this approach has many quantifiable benefits for the community. For example, conservation programming for the first 20 years is estimated to cost between $1 million and $4.9 million 3, but could defer water and wastewater infrastructure expansion by $3.5 million to $6.9 million and reduce operating costs in 2028 by $95,000 to $234,000. The recommended actions to reduce residential water demand will lower energy costs in 2028 by $193,000/year and by 2040 the savings could increase to $828,000/year. As a whole, the program is estimated to offset 1445 tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2028 and 6246 tonnes/year by The soft path does not mean doing old things better it means fundamentally shifting our relationship with water in our daily lives. Achieving this new future will require a shift towards considering nature s water needs and understanding the impacts our actions have on water. It will require innovation in planning and integration of social, ecological, and economic goals at the watershed scale. We need to be prepared to make difficult trade- offs between various uses, such as water for human use versus recreation (e.g. golf courses); water for human use versus agriculture, taking into account the types of food and other crops that are grown in a region; and whether local resources can support a water- intensive industry or bottling plant. Only when these challenges are met will the full potential of a soft path approach be unleashed. The challenge now is to ensure that this new approach and the resources, policies, and organizations that support it is implemented in the Grand River watershed and, eventually, across the country. Councils can provide the leadership to make this happen. The opportunity is here, and the time for action is now. 3 Costs for conservation programming are dependent on the measures and policies pursued. v

8 Box I. Recommended First Steps A water soft path plan can be viewed as a compass that provides broad direction and options for detailed, shorter- term implementation planning. The following provides a sample of what first steps might look like for the community of Fergus- Elora. 1) Establish Accountability by hiring a water conservation coordinator who will: coordinate the development of the plan; establish a data collection and public reporting system for both communities; and join water efficiency networks to obtain up- to- date information on best practices and practical advice from water conservation leaders. 2) Set a Long- Term Vision and Short- Term Targets and incorporate them into all relevant planning documents. 3) Establish Good Water Management by working with public works staff to review and update policies surrounding good water management practice including: water pricing rate structures; IWA Water Balance and leak detection and repair program; and sufficient data metering and collection. 4) Select Water Conservation Programs for the First Five Years. All water soft path plans are likely to include the following proven conservation measures as first steps: Rebates: MaP or WaterSense tested 4.8 L of water per flush or less toilets and other fixtures and appliances; consider promoting the Proficiency 3 L toilet; truckload toilet sale, partnering with a local energy utility to reduce costs, and/or working with local hardware stores to stock approved toilets and other fixtures. Build Blue: Educate builders and plumbers about the efficacy of water efficient technology by hosting workshops and/or educating through the approvals process. Change Behaviour: Update water bill design; add conservation page on the Township s website. Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Sectors: Pre- rinse spray valve replacement program; capacity buy- back program. Reduce the Peak: Revise summer watering ban/bylaw to further reduce peak demands; landscape audits/visits to customers identified as using large volumes of water in the summer. 5) Monitor and Adapt. Revisit targets, successes, and failures, and adapt and adjust strategy for the next five years to ensure targets continue to be met. vi

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10 POLIS PROJECT ON ECOLOGICAL GOVERNANCE Created in 2000, the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance is a research-based organization housed at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Researchers who are also community activists work at POLIS to dismantle the notion that the environment is merely another sector. They work to make ecological thinking and practice a core value in all aspects of society. Among the many research centres worldwide that are investigating and promoting sustainability, POLIS represents a unique blend of multidisciplinary academic research and community action. WATER SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT The Water Sustainability Project (WSP) is an action-based research group that recognizes water scarcity is a social dilemma that cannot be addressed by technical solutions alone. The project focuses on four themes crucial to a sustainable water future: Water Conservation and the Water Soft Path, The Water-Energy Nexus, Watershed Governance, and Water Law and Policy Reform. The WSP works with industry, government, civil society, and individuals to develop and embed water conservation strategies that benefit the economy, communities, and the environment. The WSP is an initiative of the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria. The POLIS Project on Ecological Governance PO Box 3060 University of Victoria Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3R4 water@polisproject.org Telephone: