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Proceedings - Teaching and Learning Centre - Simon Fraser ...

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<strong>Fraser</strong> River Action Plan 3rd Research Workshop<br />

Status of Urban Programs in Pollution Abatement<br />

B. Kooi<br />

Environment Canada<br />

Studies in the past have identified urban runoff as a major contributor to the degradation of many urban streams<br />

<strong>and</strong> rivers. Long-term characterization of urban runoff is difficult due to inconsistent water quality resulting from<br />

rainfall <strong>and</strong> site specificity. As part of the <strong>Fraser</strong> River Action Plan, Environment Canada, under <strong>Fraser</strong><br />

Pollution Abatement (FPA), has been given the task of developing strategies to reduce contaminant loadings<br />

from urban runoff. The required tasks included an inventory of non-point sources, assessment of some non-point<br />

sources, development of Best Management Practices (BMPs) or Codes of Practice <strong>and</strong>, finally, measure of<br />

success.<br />

A. Inventory <strong>and</strong> Assessment<br />

Urban Runoff Quantification <strong>and</strong> Contaminants Loading<br />

This study was a planning level assessment of surface water contaminant loadings to the <strong>Fraser</strong> River basin<br />

<strong>and</strong> Burrard Inlet from urban runoff sources. The report in general summarized the information within the<br />

Lower <strong>Fraser</strong> as it contains approximately 91% of the population. The study summarized the loadings of 20<br />

different contaminants to the <strong>Fraser</strong> River basin <strong>and</strong> Burrard Inlet (Table 1). The loading estimates were<br />

average concentrations of typical urban runoff contaminants. The numerical values assigned were the<br />

average level of contamination reported in the literature. Although the contaminants levels were determined<br />

from the literature, they may assist agencies to determine a starting point from which the success of<br />

abatement activities may be measured.<br />

Impact of L<strong>and</strong> Uses on Stormwater Quality in the Brunette River System<br />

The intent of this study was to determine the impact of different l<strong>and</strong> uses on surface water quality <strong>and</strong><br />

compare contaminant levels to what was reported in the literature. A second phase of this project was to<br />

develop a Best Management Practice for Urban Watersheds. [Ken Hall of UBC outlines <strong>and</strong> presents the<br />

research efforts on this watershed later in this report.]<br />

Combined Sewer Overflow Inventory<br />

This was an inventory of all the CSOs discharging within the <strong>Fraser</strong> River basin for population centres<br />

greater than 10,000. The inventory concluded that all CSOs were located within the Lower <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

Burrard Inlet. The total number of CSOs found was 53 (New Westminister-5; Burnaby-13; Vancouver-35).<br />

The <strong>Fraser</strong> River accounts for 20 CSO discharges <strong>and</strong> approximately 17% of the total discharge CSO<br />

volume.<br />

Additional work on this project included an inventory of industrial waste discharges under Greater<br />

Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) permit flowing to the wastewater collection systems within the<br />

GVRD. The study found approximately 79 permitted discharges with volumes ranging from

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