WET Hydrology & Hydrogeology

This thesis provides a good historical review of groundwater management in British Columbia in the late 20th century. Groundwater is a significant source of potable water in British Columbia and is used extensively in many areas of the province. However, despite the importance of the resource, groundwater development and use are subject to few constraints. Reliance on common law rights has contributed to the development of problems of overuse and contamination of the resource in some parts of British Columbia. The objectives of the thesis are to provide an overview study of groundwater and to develop a set of recommendations for improving the management of groundwater in British Columbia. Most of the information used in the thesis is from primary and secondary written material in the fields of law, economics, hydrogeology, and natural resources management. Some primary written and verbal material was obtained from the British Columbia Ministry of Environment staff. Several groundwater management and regulation schemes which have been recommended in the literature or adopted in other regions of western North America are reviewed and then assessed according to the criteria of feasibility, equity, effectiveness, and economic efficiency. The evaluation of these alternatives forms the basis of the recommendations for management of British Columbia's groundwater. The thesis recommends that, in areas where groundwater problems have developed or are likely to occur, clearly defined groundwater rights be established by the Comptroller of Water Rights. The Comptroller would conduct hearings into groundwater supply and demand, decide upon a collective withdrawal rate for each area, and then assign rights to individual users to pump water at specified rates. The thesis further recommends that, once the allocation of rights has been made, the rights would be marketable.

Studies of climate change impacts on water resources show that some regions may experience negative impacts and additional strain on the ability to meet future demand. However, few practitioners have incorporated climate change into their water planning initiatives. To do so practitioners must first recognize climate change as a concern, acquire climate impacts information specific to their issues and scales, and then assess the potential impacts and adaptation options within the context of the system. Participatory modeling, in which stakeholders are actively involved in the construction of a computer model, is an effective method for accomplishing these tasks. The collaborative process fosters a shared learning experience and the model helps assess future conditions and policies. A year-long participatory modeling exercise was conducted in the Okanagan Basin in south-central British Columbia, Canada. The region's arid, snowmelt-dominated hydrology combined with recent rapid development make its water resources susceptible to climate change impacts. Participants, including water-related professionals, researchers, and representatives of non-governmental organizations, assisted in all stages of model development, from goal setting and issues identification to model calibration and testing. The completed model, constructed in STELLA™, conducts thirty-year monthly simulations of water supply and agricultural, residential, and conservation flow demands for a historic period and for the 2020's and the 2050's, using statistically downscaled climate information from the Hadley, CGCM2, and CSIRO general circulation models. The model suggests that climatic changes could impact the system more severely than population growth. Current projections show reduced ability of the system to meet demand, particularly during the dry month of August, when demand peaks. Adaptation strategies could play a role in maintaining system reliability. Participants found both the process and the resulting model valuable. They found the model to be a relevant and legitimate tool for exploring long-term water management in the Okanagan when used with the appropriate audience and with minor refinements. The model could support further dialogue with the Okanagan community to determine appropriate management options. This methodology is not limited to this case study, but is well-suited for other applications of resource management, policy development, collaborative learning and negotiation.

An urban water system (UWS) has three main service components: (i) drinking water; (ii) wastewater; and (iii) stormwater. Historically, each component in urban water development evolved with different objectives for “different” types of water. Even today, the trend continues, as urban water services are managed in silos. The silo-based approaches are less sustainable, resilient, and reliable, mainly because of significant pressures on freshwater supplies exerted by the increasing population, high living standards, rapid urbanization, and climate change uncertainties. To cope with these challenges, conventional thinking needs to change. An innovative paradigm, the “One Water” approach (OWA), which considers “urban water” as a single entity, is the need of the hour. Currently, Australia, USA, and Singapore are leading the implementation of the OWA whereas the EU nations have emphasized the need for integrating water resource management (reflecting the One Water concept) in an urban environment. Only a few Canadian municipalities have embraced OWA at a very preliminary level. This research aimed to develop an OWA-based framework to improve urban water sustainability, resiliency, and reliability. The research entailed five phases. Phase 1 identified Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater performance individually. Phase 2 developed a performance assessment model that benchmarked UWS performance, determined weaknesses, and recommended necessary interventions to enhance overall performance. Phase 3 provided a bigger picture of OWA (definition and scope) concept, existing practices, and challenges to implementing OWA in a real-world environment. In addition, it also developed an optimization model to identify the optimum water conservation strategies to reduce potable water use. Phase 4 developed and prioritized OWA indicators to evaluate integrated UWS (IUWS) performance and measure water systems’ sustainability, resiliency, and reliability. Phase 5 adopted a design thinking approach to develop best practices in implementing OWA in UWS. The results of this research will provide foundational knowledge to evaluate individual water system performance and set performance benchmarks for small and medium-sized UWSs. In addition, the findings from this study will open new avenues for urban water managers to adopt OWA in their existing systems to evaluate their IUWS performance. Thus, it will assist policy-makers in establishing new guidelines to improve their UWS holistically and help decision-makers make strategic decisions to address an increasing urban water service demand.. Includes information on the Okanagan Valley, City of Kelowna, and groundwater implications.