Water Policy Fellowships

Urbanite and environmentalist, Daphne's goal is to transform the conception of the urban jungle into that of a healthy, life-sustaining ecosystem. With an academic background in environmental studies from McGill University, Daphne is currently completing her Master's Degree in Urban Planning at the Université de Montréal. She has been involved with a wide variety of urban environmental initiatives in Montreal and abroad, as Natural Resources Conservation cooperant in the city of Texcoco, Mexico; as Water Management Intern with the City of Montreal, and in her current position with the not-for-profit organization Energie Verte Benny Farm, developing a community-based solar energy project in Montreal. Daphne's principal interests are water conservation and water sensitive urban design. Her Master's thesis examines the social and environmental impacts of rainwater harvesting in the Honduran city of Coxen Hole. Her Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation Water Policy Fellowship, on the other hand, aims to direct municipal policy in Montreal towards the support of a soft path approach to water resources management.

Fellowship Project Description

Montreal is a city literally surrounded by water. Historically, this abundance of fresh water has not only limited the environmental impacts of the city's water withdrawals and wastewater discharges, but has also encouraged inefficient use of available water resources. Montreal is notorious for having Canada's highest per-capita production of potable water, which also translates into massive quantities of wastewater. Furthermore, over 1000 combined sewer overflow events are recorded per year, forcing beach closures and harming aquatic life in the St-Laurent. Untreated storm water from the separate storm water sewer system in the newer parts of the city also contributes to the low water quality around the island of Montreal.

This study will look at water management from a "soft path" approach that links the management of freshwater, wastewater, and storm water and considers the environmental, economic, and social aspects of each. The soft path for water focuses on demand management for water and regards rainwater and wastewater as resources rather than problems. It implies using a variety of approaches to conserve potable water, manage more rainwater on-site by reuse or infiltration, and reduce and reuse wastewater.

Four decentralized, water-efficient techniques have been chosen - based on their applicability to large portions of the city and their proven performance in other North-American municipalities - for a cost-benefit analysis for the case of Montreal. The selected technologies are (a) water-efficient fixtures and appliances, (b) downspout disconnection with rainbarrels, (c) green roofs and (d) permeable paving of back alleys. The costs and benefits - both monetary and non-monetary - of applying each technique will be measured, analysed and compared in order to identify the most promising decentralized water-efficient technologies for Montreal.

The research aims to identify those techniques that are the most cost-effective and beneficial in the case of Montreal so as to provide a rational basis upon which to establish municipal programs to encourage the adoption of such techniques. The cost-benefit analysis will, therefore, be complemented with a review of programs that have been put in place in other North American cities to promote such techniques with promising results for adoption.