Andrew McNeill

🌊 🔍 Addressing Municipal Water Loss: Setting Targets and Facing Reality 🌊 🔍 On #WorldWaterLossDay, let’s dive deeper into one of the most pressing issues for water utilities: the gap between targeted and actual water loss levels. Many municipalities aim for a water loss rate of 10% or less, a benchmark often referred to as the “economic level of loss.” This level accounts for the point at which the cost of further reducing water loss outweighs the savings from recovered water. However, achieving this target is easier said than done. In reality, most municipal water systems experience water loss rates of 20-30%, with some systems reporting losses as high as 50%. This includes both real losses (leaks and bursts) and apparent losses (metering inaccuracies and unauthorized consumption). To put this into perspective, a water system pumping 38 million liters per day at a 30% loss rate is effectively losing 11.4 million liters daily—enough to supply tens of thousands of people. Reducing water loss to target levels requires a multifaceted approach, including: • Advanced leak detection technologies • Accurate metering and data analysis • Proactive asset management and infrastructure upgrades • Utility staff training and public awareness campaigns While the upfront investment can be significant, the long-term benefits—improved water availability, reduced energy costs, and environmental sustainability—are worth the effort. What are your thoughts on current water loss levels in your area? Are utilities near you hitting their targets, or is there work to do? #WaterManagement #Sustainability #Infrastructure

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How a DFO Request for Review impacts your project. Working under the high water mark? Are fish present? If so, you will likely require a DFO Request for Review. What is a Request for Review? A DFO Request for Review is a formal submission to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to evaluate whether a proposed project in or near water will result in harmful alteration, disruption, or destruction (HADD) of fish habitat. This process ensures that the project complies with federal regulations, protects fish and fish habitat, and determines if further mitigation measures or authorizations are required. The review helps safeguard aquatic ecosystems while enabling proponents to meet legal obligations. When submitting your Request for Review here are a few things to keep in mind: ➡️ Timing: Submit your Request for Review early, ideally between October and February. By submitting early you ensure adequate time for review before the construction season. if Possible DONT WAIT UNTIL SPRING. ➡️ Photo Documentation: Accurate, descriptive, and framing of photos is key. Photos for RFR submission need to clearly show site characteristics and what type of fish habitat is present and potentially impacted. ➡️ Site design and Drawings: When submitting a RFR having a well thought out project design and engineer drawing is important. DFO review staff should be able to look at the design, photos, and description and have a clear picture of what is taking place as well as proposed mitigations. ➡️ Impacted areas/project footprints: In your RFR clearly lay out how much disturbance area is required for your project. Break down your project area disturbances into individual components (i.e. Temporary disturbance, permanent disturbance, in-water work, riprap, riparian clearing), be specific. ➡️ Are you in critical habitat? species at risk plans: Know if you project crosses critical habitat identified by DFO. If your project does cross critical habitat understand and read the recovery strategies associated with the impacted species. Know the functions, features, and attributes associated with that species , include how are you mitigating for these. Plan ahead, submit early, and have all the key information in your submission. P.S. If anyone has additional tips or recommendations for submitting DFO Request for Reviews, please share them in the comments!

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What municipal policies can help propel climate implementation in my municipality? What policies are my peer municipalities advancing? Check out Clean Air Council's Climate Policy Database to find your answers! Our Climate Policy database showcases municipal plans and policies related to climate change developed by the 40+ Clean Air Council member municipalities in Ontario. It is a one-stop shop that allows municipalities and communities to explore what policies have been developed by the municipalities to address climate change. The purpose of this tool is to enhance the transparency of municipal policies required to mitigate and adapt to climate effectively. Currently, 17 types of actions are being tracked, and these actions span across different municipal sectors, including transportation, land use, buildings and more. Check out the climate mitigation and adaptation policies being advanced by your municipal peers below! Link: https://loom.ly/TMLcn2g

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The devastating fires in Alberta remind me that Ontario is also at risk. Climate change and vast, unmanaged plantations create huge fire hazards. Why is funding for forest management often ignored in favour of planting trees? Planting trees is popular and visible, showing quick results. It’s easier to gain public support and funding for tree planting. In contrast, forest management is a long-term effort, with benefits that aren’t immediately seen. Limited budgets and a lack of awareness about the importance of forest management also play a role. To reduce fire risks, we need to invest in comprehensive forest management Credit Valley Conservation is currently prioritizing the management of plantations on our properties. Funding shortfalls limit us in outreach efforts of the importance of this work on private lands

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⚡⚡ Noteworthy #digitaltwin article I saw in #BCWaterNews on hydropower turbines by #PNNLab. https://ow.ly/XkRq30sI1G5 Did you know we led the first digital twin framework for the #waterindustry? PM me to learn more!

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2024 Poll: Public Prioritizes Great Lakes Protection Amid Water Quality Concerns Great Lakes Protection Poll Highlights Urgent Concerns A recent poll by the International Joint Commission reveals strong public support for protecting the Great Lakes, with 96% of respondents emphasizing the need for government investment in this area. The survey included over 4,500 Canadians and Americans, with significant concerns about water quality, particularly from Indigenous communities. Respondents also acknowledged the economic implications of deteriorating water health, with 80% believing the local economy would suffer without a healthy ecosystem. Despite the high levels of concern, views on the current state of the Great Lakes' health vary, with invasive species and pollution identified as major threats. The findings underscore the growing urgency for action to address these challenges. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/dCpiEazP What are your thoughts on this? Don't hesitate to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below. DevTech is always eager to hear from our community and learn about your experiences and perspectives. Looking forward to connecting with you! #devtech.pro #AI #technology #trending #news #innovation #technology This article is written and published by Doki. Doki is our documentation's and social media's AI Agent.

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In 2019, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities invited the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre to be a Regional Climate Change Advisor for their Partners for Climate Protection Program. The program has a shared goal of taking action against climate change and reducing local greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more about MCCAC: https://mccac.ca/

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🔥 #FNWEPtip: On October 9, 2024, Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson shared an opinion in The Globe and Mail on the critical role of Indigenous guardians in reducing wildfires and their devastating costs. Indigenous fire stewardship has been a part of our landscapes for millennia, promoting biodiversity and healthier forests. By training fire guardians, we can empower communities to reduce fire risks year-round, make properties safer, conduct cultural burns that restore forest health, and reduce the need for evacuations! Fire guardians can respond quickly to wildfires and assist with evacuations, creating a more sustainable approach to wildfire management. For insights about this subject, read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gZdP47Yg  #WildfireManagement #IndigenousKnowledge #IndigenousStewardship

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Funding opportunity: Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding (DRIF) program. For First Nations and local governments in B.C. to enhance their capacity to withstand and adapt to natural and climate-driven hazards. (Expression of Interest By Sept 15, 2024). #Indigenous #ClimateChange #Funding #BC https://bit.ly/3WrZbUc

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𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲💧 Council has reaffirmed that the Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 project (CWSS1) remains its number one advocacy priority and that additional funding commitments will be sought from the State and Federal Governments. The $472 million project is critical to the city’s future and will avoid a potential drinking water shortage by 2026. Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said that additional funding commitments would alleviate the burden on ratepayers and residents, who were already experiencing significant cost-of-living pressures, including rising cost of mortgage repayments, rent, insurance and day-to-day essentials. At yesterday's Ordinary Meeting, Council unanimously reconfirmed Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 as its number one advocacy priority, a position previously endorsed on 28 April 2021 and again 21 December 2023. Council also repeated calls for Federal and State Governments to increase their commitments to $236 million each and fully fund the project. Both levels of government have previously pledged $107.5 million each to the project. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/gDgvk-V8

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How you plan a project means everything! Don't get stuck waiting for approvals or permits from the Federal and Provincial Governments. Given the nature of my work, one of my primary roles often involves obtaining permits for fisheries and watercourse crossing projects. As we approach the end of 2024 and start planning and strategizing for capital and maintenance projects in 2025, here are a few key considerations to keep in mind for planning projects that impact fish and fish habitat. 1️⃣ Timing: If your project impacts fish and fish habitat or crosses aquatic species at risk habitat you will likely be required to submit a Request for Review (RFR) to DFO. If this is the case, the biggest piece of advice I have is early submission, submit your RFR as early as you can and ideally between now and the end of February. If you wait until spring or summer, you will almost certainly face longer approval times. This is due to limited resource availability and the high volume of emergency responses DFO handles during that period. Submit your applications early! 2️⃣ Critical Habitat: Understand and know if your project is in habitat identified by DFO as that important to aquatic species at risk. If your project crosses critical habitat for species such as Athabasca Rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout you will need to be familiar with their species specific recovery strategies and how your project impacts them. Know the functions, features, and attributes that are important to each species. 3️⃣ Application completeness: Before you submit your application or RFR make sure that you have all the required documentation. This can include RFR Form, QAES or fish and fish habitat report, photo documentation of the habitat present and of the existing crossing location, engineer/design drawing for the new crossing structure, approximate areas of disturbance, and revegetation plan. Now is a great time to start thinking about projects for 2025 and getting all the required documentation ready to go. and remember APPLY EARLY! ⬇️ Were any of the three tips above helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments! If you have additional tips for streamlining the permitting process, I would love to hear them. Have a great Wednesday Cheers, Randy

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Hope to see you there - registration link below!

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Indigenous knowledge emphasizes the importance of community and oral traditions in emergency preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. By weaving Indigenous wisdom into modern emergency management, we can build more resilient and adaptive communities. Let’s listen, learn, and honour practices that have protected and sustained Indigenous peoples for time immemorial. #NIPD2024 #EmergencyManagement

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An important topic with water being crucial to mining and many areas in Alberta dealing with drought conditions.

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The RDN has responded to increasing climate change risks for water in three key integrated regional services of Drinking Water and Watershed Protection, Regional Growth Strategy and Climate Action Technical Advisory Committee. Read the article published in Plan Canada - the national planning journal of the Canadian Institute of Planners. Canadian Institute of Planners Regional District of Nanaimo Asset Management BC Natural Assets Initiative (NAI) #water #landuseplanning #climateaction

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A new report from the Auditor General found that when it comes to managing Alberta's surface water, the Government of Alberta: 1. Lacks water conservation objectives (WCOs) in most basins; 2. Doesn't know if existing WCOs are working; 3. Lacks processes to monitor water pressures or assess risks; 4. Has ineffective processes to approve licenses and monitor compliance, and 5. Cannot verify/validate whether licensee-reported water usage data is accurate - among many other issues. The report calls for stronger processes to proactively protect Alberta’s surface water. Link to report: https://lnkd.in/gPYba_K9 #ABPoli #ABLeg #CDNPoli #Water #Drought #ClimateChange

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