Homeowner Modeling Tool
Homeowners can locate their property on a map, recreate their current house and yard, and then like Lego, add building blocks of different rainwater management features to the property, to reduce their property’s runoff and infiltrate more water into the soil.
The video tutorial (below) is helpful in demonstrating how the addition of the ‘Lego blocks’ can improve the stream health score.
Why the Express
The Water Balance Express for Landowners was created to spur changes in practice. Although it may be viewed by some as an educational tool, use of the Express would help local governments achieve a regulatory outcome that is framed this way: implement performance targets, restore stream health.
The Express is integrated with Google Maps / Earth and land use zoning. Also, the Express has pre-set, region-specific Water Balance performance targets for volume, infiltration and flow. An image of a gauge provides a visual measure of stream health.
Tool development was co-funded by the governments of Canada and British Columbia, the Metro Vancouver Regional District and others under a climate adaptation program. Find out more about the genesis, history and implementation of the Water Balance Express at waterbucket.ca.