Infrastructure

Water Management


We need a water solution now. If the Province won’t fund a pipeline, it’s time we yell loudly that we demand policy innovations that create a taxpayer-dollar efficient, intermediate term solution for us.

Anyone that has followed me over the past 4 years knows that I am passionate about water and have lots of ideas, be it water pipeline, conservation, licensing, bottled water, or new ways to manage water supply.

So let me start with my core philosophy about water.

Water is not a resource that we have in abundance in this country. Our challenge is even more acute in the dry climate of southern Alberta. We need to ensure we have adequate water supply for future generations. To do this we need to re-think how water is managed. We have a responsibility to ensure that we maintain a healthy river, safe secure drinking water, and fire protection.

Okotoks has been a water leader in Canada – from significant achievements in water conservation to our new water meters and dashboard that will allow residents to monitor water efficiency and identify water leaks in their homes. Our successful history suggests we should continue to lead – to push into innovative territory on behalf of future generations that need our leadership now.

History


2007 – 2010 Term :

Council turns down idea of a regional pipeline and says no to provincial funding

2010 – 2013 Term :

Council decides to grow but unable to make a decision on long term water solution

2013 – 2017 Term :

Councillor Rockley with support of Councillor Fischer, Thorn and Watrin brought forward a Notice of Motion to move forward with a Long Term Water Supply. Which passed 4 – 3.

MOTION: By Councillor Rockley that Council supports the development of a regional water system via Calgary for the future water needs of Okotoks. Administration is directed to establish proposed agreements in this regard with the Government of Alberta and the City of Calgary. The agreements should include such factors as the amount of provincial funding, responsibilities of the different parties involved and proposed timelines for creating the regional water system. The proposed agreements will be brought back to Council within six months for approval before final sign-off on the agreements by the Town of Okotoks. A progress report from Administration to Council is required within 3 months.

In Favour: Councillors Fischer, Rockley, Thorn and Watrin

Opposed: Mayor Robertson, Councillors Heemeryck and Sands

I have been a huge advocate with the Provincial Government about our water solution. I personally made countless phone calls to the Minister of Transportation trying to arrange a meeting. (His staff & I were on a 1st name basis) I arranged a presentation to the NDP South MLA’s in early 2016 to help with the education process.

What I have discovered is that sometimes when you burn a bridge (in this case an opportunity for funding) it is extremely difficult to make it a priority again.

2016: River Modelling required on the Sheep River to show the aquatic impacts of license withdrawals and effluent returns.

2017: Secured 4 licenses for approx. 105 acre feet of water. There are another 10 licenses currently being reviewed by Alberta Environment. This gives us an interim period to finalize our long term solution.

Why are we approaching 4 years and still without a long term solution?

The easy answer is politics. In the past 4 years we have seen: 2 Provincial Leadership Campaigns(2014, 2017) , Provincial Election (2015), Federal Leadership Campaign (2016/17), Federal Election (2015), 6 Municipal Affairs Minister, 2 Environment Ministers, and 3 Transportation Ministers. We also had a lack of leadership on this direction within our own Council. Then throw in dealing with Calgary City Council and you have political soup.

As many of you have heard me say our water situation is complicated and the way the Province manages water in the South Saskatchewan Basin is complicated. So with every change it means an entire new education process has to begin again.

Moving Forward


Every challenge has a solution. Solutions require leadership and a willingness to be bold. As a community that prides itself on innovation and water conservation we need to start pushing boundaries far more aggressively.

Priority 1: Secure a Long Term Water Solution
A regional water solution needs to be our priority as there will be a need for communities south of Okotoks to tap into this solution in the next 10 -15 years. However, if the Province can’t move this up the priority list and commit to funding within the next year, then Okotoks needs to be prepared to implement a long term solution that looks after our needs alone. There are other sub-regional and/or local options available to our community (see other priorities below). . To move this forward we will need to create a community advocacy campaign and become vocal on the need. We have played nice in the sandbox and done everything that has been required of us for 4 years. The time has come to be loud!!!
Priority 2: Advocate for Greywater Recycling

Greywater recycling would support modest population growth with the water supply we have now, and is a cost benefit to the taxpayer.

Provincial legislation doesn’t allow for grey water recycling. We are behind the times. There are many global examples where greywater recycling is allowed. As a community that prides itself on conservation and innovation, we should be leading the charge on changing legislation, or at least having an opportunity to run a Pilot Project and evaluate its impact on the Sheep River and water management. Imagine if every new household in our community could water outside with grey water (the relatively clean waste water from baths, sinks, washing machines, and other kitchen appliances). Greywater use lowers your water bill. Diverting greywater from treatment systems can extend their life – which has direct benefit to your tax bill. Re-using water saves energy: for example yard watering with greywater avoids the energy of both treating water to drinking water quality, and post-use treatment at the sewage treatment plant. Perhaps most importantly, more efficient water use reduces pressure on a water resource being challenged by population growth and climate change – and improves potential for us to be able to meet the needs of agriculture, households, and wildlife.

Priority 3: Create Return Flow Credit System, and Reservoirs

Return flow credits and reservoirs would support modest population growth with the water supply we have now, and is a cost benefit to the taxpayer.

We return anywhere between 80 – 92% of the water we pull from the Sheep River back to the Sheep River. This is referred to as return flow. Okotoks has made significant investment in leak detection and repair to generate this exceptional number. The Province currently does not recognize return flow credits for any organization. Everything is solely based upon what we pull from the River. This is an area that we need to push harder for policy change. If the policy change, we would have expanded water capacity literally with the signing of a piece of paper that costs nothing!

We currently have 3 water reservoirs. 2/3 of this space is for managing our peak summer demand for outdoor water and 1/3 is for fire protection. We need to actively expand our storage capacity with the addition of at least 1 more reservoir. This is in the long range capital plan but it needs to be escalated in priority. It may also be feasible to investigate large scale storage capacity. Countries like Australia have led the way with aquifer storage solutions. There’s nothing stopping us from doing the same thing except policy. If we invest in more storage capacity it becomes even more important that we advocate for return flow credits. More storage capacity delays consideration of a water pipeline for a considerable period of time – which is more cost-efficient for your taxpayer dollars.

Priority 4: Solve the Problem With The Provincial Water Market

The Sheep River is part of the South Saskatchewan River Basin and this has been a closed basin since 2005. This means we have been unable to get any additional water allocations from the Province to accommodate population growth in the region. This situation applies to every Municipality from Calgary to the US Border.

Provincial policy has created a business market for water. Unfortunately, Okotoks ran out of “luck of the draw.” We never had licensing to accommodate a large population, while for example the City of Calgary owns most remaining licensing in the Basin. So for a decade Okotoks has been hunting for and negotiating purchases of existing licenses. This is getting ever-more expensive. This is not, in my opinion, an effective way for communities to manage growth. This has made water a commodity that is rising in price – which you ultimately will pay for in rising water bills, whereas community access to water should be an inherent right for Albertans.

Our community has been identified as part of the Calgary Growth Region yet we are not provided with the tools to effectively and affordably manage this growth. Having to purchase water impacts our community significantly and puts us at a disadvantage to every other community surrounding Calgary as they all have regional water solutions. Pushing to re-vamp the water licensing system is an extremely politically charged topic given existing licenses are largely agricultural, but we need to advocate for a new policy framework if a Regional Pipeline is not supported. Our residents deserve equal footing. Communities deserve reasonable water access.

Shaping Growth


In July 2017 our community grew by 4900 acres. But it’s not enough to just grow. Folks want “better” not just “bigger” We need a new and energized vision that builds on what you want:

An inspired and inspiring community. A leader. An innovator. An inclusive and diverse community. A community that is distinct in the Calgary Region. A financially efficient community that provides desired, high quality services and amenities. A community we are proud to call home.

We have a responsibility to re-think where we are going and how we want to get there. Growth should not be a scary word. Done right and done well growth brings new opportunities, new ideas, new friends and new neighbors.

To effectively manage growth it is imperative that we start dedicating time to detailed, creative, inclusive discussions about our long term vision for Okotoks.


Managed Growth = Long Range Planning = Vision


This next Council needs to commit to dedicated time for re-energized community dialogue about where we are heading. We have a Municipal Development Plan, Land Use Bylaw and many other strategic documents that need to be re-written. We need the ONE plan – said in simple terms – that people understand is OUR community direction, and action plan.


What type of housing do we want?

How many schools, parks should we have?

What infrastructure do we want/need now, 5 years, 10 years from now?

How will we pay for everything?

How do we diversify our tax base and enhance our non-residential tax base?

What do we want our community to look like in 5, 10, 25 years?

What features define us as a distinct and inspired community that leads the way?


These are some of the questions that we need to take a hard look at and put planning into place so we can achieve our desired outcome. We need to ensure we create an environment that is collaborative & adaptive for our residents & businesses.

I love this community. Together we can achieve amazing things and be open to where our imagination takes us!

We need to stop being happy with the status quo and start being the leaders that the word “Legacy” demands us to be. We need people who will stand up, take control and define where we are going, and then take ACTION!

Shaping Growth


In July 2017 our community grew by 4900 acres. But it’s not enough to just grow. Folks want “better” not just “bigger” We need a new and energized vision that builds on what you want:

An inspired and inspiring community. A leader. An innovator. An inclusive and diverse community. A community that is distinct in the Calgary Region. A financially efficient community that provides desired, high quality services and amenities. A community we are proud to call home.

We have a responsibility to re-think where we are going and how we want to get there. Growth should not be a scary word. Done right and done well growth brings new opportunities, new ideas, new friends and new neighbors.

To effectively manage growth it is imperative that we start dedicating time to detailed, creative, inclusive discussions about our long term vision for Okotoks.


Managed Growth = Long Range Planning = Vision


This next Council needs to commit to dedicated time for re-energized community dialogue about where we are heading. We have a Municipal Development Plan, Land Use Bylaw and many other strategic documents that need to be re-written. We need the ONE plan – said in simple terms – that people understand is OUR community direction, and action plan.


What type of housing do we want?

How many schools, parks should we have?

What infrastructure do we want/need now, 5 years, 10 years from now?

How will we pay for everything?

How do we diversify our tax base and enhance our non-residential tax base?

What do we want our community to look like in 5, 10, 25 years?

What features define us as a distinct and inspired community that leads the way?


These are some of the questions that we need to take a hard look at and put planning into place so we can achieve our desired outcome. We need to ensure we create an environment that is collaborative & adaptive for our residents & businesses.

I love this community. Together we can achieve amazing things and be open to where our imagination takes us!

We need to stop being happy with the status quo and start being the leaders that the word “Legacy” demands us to be. We need people who will stand up, take control and define where we are going, and then take ACTION!

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