Team WaterSmart
Welcome to the Team WaterSmart Get Involved RDN page!
Check out all of the great upcoming initiatives being offered throughout the Regional District of Nanaimo. We will keep our community calendar up-to-date with where to find Team WaterSmart - whether it's fun community events, educational workshops, or adventurous outdoor activities.
Water conservation and environmental protection are values shared by all of us so come get involved and help to appreciate our water...because every drop counts!
Winter/Spring 2022:
- NEW- Team WaterSmart Educational Video Series! Check them out -->
- Check out the results from our Freshwater Survey! Thank you for participating
- Interested in voicing your opinion for the Regional Strategy for Rainwater Management?
- Teachers! Check out Freshwater Connections- Water Where We Live school modules for Grades K-7
- Students! Do you have water-friendly landscape design ideas to share? Check out our ideas board
- Want to learn more about combining FireSmart and WaterSmart landscape principles- check out our new guide
- Water to Earth Month is coming up! March 22-April 22, 2022. Stay tuned for more!
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Thank you for Participating in our Freshwater Survey!
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Thank you for Participating in our Freshwater Survey!
Between June 28 and August 2, 2021 Ipsos conducted a randomized survey on behalf of the RDN using a mixed telephone /online survey methodology. In total, 1,393 surveys with adult residents in the region were completed! This included a balance of responses from the Electoral Areas and Municipalities.
The objective of the survey was to better understand community perspectives, behaviours, and priorities concerning freshwater resources in the region. The 2021 survey will act as a benchmark against which follow up surveys can be compared to gauge change and progress.
To learn more, please check out the RDN Freshwater Perspectives Public Benchmark Survey Final Report
A staff report summarizing the findings was received by the RDN Board on Oct. 26th; you can find that report here: https://rdn-pub.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=19956
The results from the survey will help tailor Drinking Water and Watershed Protection program implementation to best suit the needs of and address the gaps present in various communities.
Thank you again to all who participated!
If you have further questions, please contact us at 250-390-6560 or waterprotection@rdn.bc.ca
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FireSmart and WaterSmart Landscaping- What to know
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Our landscape guide helps you make landscape choices that maximize water retention during times of drought as well as reduce wildfire risk and combines these FireSmart and WaterSmart principles with the East Coast of Vancouver Island climate and native species in mind.
WaterSmart design aims to enhance resilience to drought by reducing the amount of watering required and increasing the storage capacity of your landscape soils. FireSmart landscaping reduces the risk of wildlfire damaging structures on your property. Learn more about maximizing these two principles with our new guide.
Download your copy here
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Curriculum Connections School Modules
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Teachers! We now have curriculum based school modules for you to use in your K-7 classrooms. "Freshwater Connections" are a series of six modules for either K-3 or 4-7 classrooms and include classroom presentations, activities and extension materials. These modules combine Indigenous knowledge, local references and science, cultural and hands-on activities to reinforce learning.
Check them out at rdn.bc.ca/school-education
Are you interested in providing feedback to Team WaterSmart on these modules? We'd love to hear from you! email watersmart@rdn.bc.ca
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Water to Earth Month 2021
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThank you for participating in our Water to Earth Month celebrations!
We hope that next year we will be celebrating Water to Earth Month face-to-face with our community.
The RDN’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection (DWWP) Program has been hosting Water to Earth Month events with community partners for the last 5 years. Water to Earth Month is an activity-packed, month-long celebration that takes place between World Water Day on March 22 and Earth Day on April 22. Its aim is to actively engage the community to build awareness about local water resources and environmental stewardship.
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Drinking Water & Watershed Protection Educational Video Series
City of Nanaimo's Water Supply Strategy
Have questions? Contact Mike Squire (City of Nanaimo) at Mike.Squire@nanaimo.ca
Videos
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For several years, the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program, with the help of the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) and the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD), have been providing educational workshops aimed at helping private well owners protect the quality and supply of their drinking water.
As groundwater and surface water are interconnected, protecting our aquifers not only ensures the health of families and communities but protects fish and the rest of the environment too.
In the workshops, residents learn about groundwater aquifers, well maintenance and operation, drought management, water testing and treatment and RDN rebates relating to private wells.
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Water is very special. It's home to fish and animals. It nourishes plants and helps trees grow. It quenches our thirst and supports our communities. Have you ever wondered where your drinking water comes from?
Join Team WaterSmart as they take the journey of a water droplet through the Nanaimo River Watershed to the drinking water source of the City of Nanaimo and surrounding communities.
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This video was developed in 2008 as a communication tool with the original Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Action Plan.
The quality and amount of water in the ground and in our rivers is directly affected by what we do on the land. Land development, resource extraction, water consumption, and discharge of pollutants all affect water and are on the rise in the RDN. We have already seen negative changes in many areas. This not only affects the health of our local ecosystems but also the social and economic stability of the Region. Land use planning and development standards cannot be effectively modified without a clear understanding of our water resources, where they are changing, and why.
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Created for Drinking Water Week in 2013, this video explores the source and journey of Qualicum’s drinking water.
The Town of Qualicum Beach has two sources of water supply, the River Well Field and the Berwick Well Field. The River Well Field consists of 5 production wells that draw water from below the Little Qualicum River, which relies heavily on snow melt from Mount Arrowsmith. The secondary Berwick Well Field consists of 4 production wells that are used in times of high demand to supplement the River Wells. The water is treated with UV lights and chlorine before getting pumped through pipes to deliver to the residents homes.
For more up-to-date information on Qualicum’s drinking water sources, visit https://www.qualicumbeach.com/water-services-information.
Photos
Document Library
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Team WaterSmart Outdoor Brochures
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TWS Outdoor Brochure - Alternatives to Pesticides (3.29 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Outdoor Brochure - Healthy Lawn Care (3.29 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Outdoor Brochure - Top 10 Irrigation Tips (2.33 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Outdoor Brochure - Utilizing Rain Barrels (2.59 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Outdoor Brochure - Water Wise Gardening (1.24 MB) (pdf)
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Team WaterSmart Handouts
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Groundwater Factsheet - Know the Climate Reality.pdf (904 KB) (pdf)
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Groundwater Factsheet - Know your Well.pdf (624 KB) (pdf)
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Community Watershed Monitoring Network fact sheet (705 KB) (pdf)
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TWS FAQ Handout - May 2018 (1.06 MB) (pdf)
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Toilet Leaks - Identification and Repair Guide (840 KB) (pdf)
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TWS How To Check For A Leak - May 2018 (136 KB) (pdf)
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TWS Irrigation Scheduling Guidelines - May 2018 (579 KB) (pdf)
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TWS Landscape Guide to Water Efficiency - May 2018 (5.4 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Pesticide Recipe Cards - Updated May 2018 (978 KB) (pdf)
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TWS Handout Native Plants - May 2018 (590 KB) (pdf)
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TWS Handout Rain Gardens - May 2018 (777 KB) (pdf)
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TWS Handout Xeriscaping - June 2019 (1.49 MB) (pdf)
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Climate Change in our Region - Impacts and Response (317 KB) (pdf)
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Team WaterSmart Indoor Brochures
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Information on Groundwater
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Arsenic in Groundwater (1000 KB) (pdf)
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Bacteria in Groundwater (179 KB) (pdf)
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Best Practices for Dug Wells (1.24 MB) (pdf)
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Flowing Artesian Wells (2.04 MB) (pdf)
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Fluoride in Groundwater (959 KB) (pdf)
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Guide to Conducting Pumping Tests (1.13 MB) (pdf)
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Hardness in Groundwater (170 KB) (pdf)
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Iron and Manganese in Groundwater (167 KB) (pdf)
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Licensing Groundwater (136 KB) (pdf)
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Nitrate in Groundwater (967 KB) (pdf)
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Sodium in Groundwater (940 KB) (pdf)
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Upgrading Wells in Pits (1.03 MB) (pdf)
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TWS What Is Saltwater Intrusion - May 2018 (376 KB) (pdf)
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Water Sustainability Act (104 KB) (pdf)
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Well Disinfection (3.42 MB) (pdf)
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Team WaterSmart Presentations
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TWS Wetland Workshop Presentation (9.63 MB) (pdf)
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TWS WellSMART Workshop Presentation (6.3 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Soil is a Sponge Presentation (3.35 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Detox Your Home Presentation (699 KB) (pdf)
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TWS Rain Garden Presentation (3.24 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Irrigation Inspection Workshop Presentation (3.79 MB) (pdf)
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TWS Rainwater Harvesting Workshop Presentation (29.1 MB) (pdf)
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Water to Earth Month 2021
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W2E Virtual Passport Checklist 2021 (1.59 MB) (pdf)
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Crossword Puzzle - Watershed Words (3.22 MB) (pdf)
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Word Search - RDN Rivers, Creeks and Streams (103 KB) (pdf)
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Scavenger Hunt - Waterway Wonders & Streamside Searchables (1.33 MB) (pdf)
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Water Sustainability Movie Marathon (7.5 MB) (pdf)
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Make Your Own Compost (90.9 KB) (pdf)
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Vocabulary List - Watershed Words (1.1 MB) (pdf)
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City of Nanaimo's Water Supply Strategy (2021) (4.31 MB) (pdf)
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TWS FireSmart and WaterSmart Brochure (1.94 MB) (pdf)
Who's listening
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Stewardship Coordinator - Drinking Water & Watershed Protection Program
Regional District of Nanaimo
Email CBrugge@rdn.bc.ca -
Outreach Coordinator- Drinking Water & Watershed Protection Program
Regional District of Nanaimo
Email mtomlinson@rdn.bc.ca