British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Drainage Study

Project Highlights

KWL developed the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Stormwater Management Plan to support the long-range planning and development of the campus.  The plan supports the Campus Design Standards and provides BCIT with a cohesive plan for implementing green infrastructure to minimize the impact on Guichon Creek as the campus grows.

BCIT is located in the Guichon Creek watershed, and the entirety of the campus study area is in the City of Burnaby.

Guichon Creek serves as the backbone of the campus, and the BCIT stormwater management plan was developed to support future campus planning and development.  The stormwater management plan meets rate control, volume retention, water quality, and conveyance criteria to protect and improve downstream watercourse health.

Rate control and water quality improvements benefit fish and fish habitats in many ways.  For example, they reduce fish exposure to chronic toxins, boost benthic invertebrate populations, and improve spawning success and the stability of aquatic habitats.

In addition to the background review, multiple rounds of engagement were completed with BCIT staff and stakeholders to collaborate on the campus’s stormwater management criteria and targets that met BCIT’s sustainability goals.  This included standards for rate control, volume retention, water quality, and conveyance criteria on the campus.  It also included a detailed climate change assessment for future conditions.  A campus water balance was completed for the campus, with the proposed mitigation representing a long-term improvement in the hydrologic performance of the campus, meeting the goal of a water-balanced campus for the future.  The stormwater management plan supports the future campus development and the future daylighting of Guichon Creek.

KWL’s analysis supported BCIT by providing an integrated and collaborative approach to understanding and meeting the campus’s long-term goals for sustainability, including improving BCIT’s stormwater quality, restoring natural and urban ecosystems, increasing climate resilience, and enhancing the exterior public realm by demonstrating stormwater systems as living labs, and embracing stormwater on the campus as a resource.

Ultimately, the recommendations of the stormwater management plan and the future implementation will seek to implement best management practices to support Guichon Creek daylighting with improved stormwater quality.