Asset Sustainability

Asset management is maintaining a desired level of service for what you want your assets to provide at the lowest life cycle cost. Lowest life cycle cost refers to best practices and appropriate cost for rehabilitating, repairing or replacing an asset. Asset management is implemented through an asset management program and typically includes a written asset management plan.

The challenges facing water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management systems) include:

  • Determining the best (or optimal) time to rehabilitate, repair or replace aging assets;
  • Uncertainties about climate change upon stormwater runoff frequencies, flows and contaminant loadings;
  • New regulatory requirements;
  • Responding to emergencies (as a result of asset failures); and,
  • Protecting assets

Although the watershed protection concept is now accepted, it is essential to translate this interest into rational and logical processes that capture the interest of decision makers and (most important) the public. If asset sustainability in conjunction with watershed management directives are to be effective, it must be implemented with regulatory policies and legislation. But asset sustainability is not all about science for there are many components that are not strictly science based. Organization and structure, funding, public involvement and decision making that transcend political boundaries are essential to develop effective strategies – whether at the watershed or subwatershed level.


GREENLAND® environmental projects use professional, multi-disciplinary teams. The cost of pre-emptive environmental planning is a small percentage of new development costs. Despite its low cost, it provides invaluable information that can save money during infrastructure design and construction stages. It can also prevent costly remediation and rehabilitation works.


Our team of experts firmly believes that to improve the quality of life, society must first protect what is already healthy. Each project is client driven and ultimately generated by the unique set of circumstances that influence the area that is being considered for development. While tools and methods may change from time to time, our commitment to the needs of our clients is a priority.


Strategic asset management for water and wastewater infrastructure must have regard for “watersheds”, as well as cumulative effects and climate change, since watersheds are exceedingly intricate and inter-dependent complexes of land, water, plants and animals.

The watershed is also now recognized as the priority unit for identifying and managing water supply and wastewater treatment systems. However, this approach to find sustainable asset solutions can place significant pressures on resource agency managers and planners to provide leadership and innovation. 


Since incorporation (over 25 years ago), our corporate brand has regard for asset sustainability principles since we combine traditional engineering methods and bio-mimicry principles with 'smart' technologies. We also pioneered a responsible corporate brand with an environmental protection, conservationist ethic and climate adaptation priorities too. 
 


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Client Testimonials

County of Simcoe

The County of Simcoe is the upper tier government and planning authority for most of the South Georgian Bay – Lake Simcoe Source Water Protection Region. The County, in partnership with its member municipalities, other levels of government, floodplain management agencies and two (2) conservation authorities, also provides leadership through policy, and actively in the restoration and protection of the environmental health and quality of these watersheds. As you know, in order to comply with, and be environmentally proactive with respect to the Province of Ontario’s “Places to Grow” legislation, the County of Simcoe utilized innovative decision support tools such as Greenland’s CANWET™ model. In 2012, CANWET™ was also used by the County to prepare a “Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Visioning Strategy”. To this day, the information in the Strategy’s final report is used by local municipalities, development interests and other stakeholders as a background reference to help identify sustainable development solutions.
 
This letter confirms the County of Simcoe's commitment of support which includes initially facilitating the introduction of this landmark international collaboration with all 16 local municipalities, other governments (small and large) and other agencies that partner now with the County of Simcoe on land use planning; infrastructure renewal; and flooding risk/damage reduction initiatives.
 
As always, I look forward to our continued working relationship with you and your colleagues and the significant benefits these efforts will have for our residents and environment. The County of Simcoe appreciates your efforts towards developing information based decision making tools and we are confident that this project will prove beneficial in our collaborative goal to improve watershed health for all County residents.

Mark Aitken
Chief Administration Officer
The Corporation of the County of Simcoe

October 19, 2015
 

Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

The Authority’s mission is to provide leadership in the restoration and protection of the environmental health and quality of Lake Simcoe and its watershed with our community, municipal and other government partners. As a resource management agency, we rely on decision support tools such as Greenland’s CANWET model. It continues to play a key role in informing our watershed management planning decisions in relation to policy development, stewardship priorities and education and communication programs.

As always, I look forward to our continued working relationship with you and your colleagues. The Authority appreciates your hard work, and we are confident that this study will prove beneficial in our collaborative goal to improve the health of the Lake Simcoe watershed.

Michael Walters
Chief Administrative Officer
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

November 4, 2014
 

Muskoka Watershed Council

The Muskoka Watershed Council’s mission is to champion watershed health in those watersheds that flow into and through the District Municipality of Muskoka. There is no conservation authority in Muskoka, instead the Council is a volunteer-based organization supported by the District of Muskoka, local consulting firms, and local Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change offices.

The Muskoka Watershed Council is currently undertaking a project to understand the potential impact of climate change in Muskoka to the year 2050. In working with our municipal partners, decision support tools such as Greenland’s new CANWET-5 model could be useful in informing our watershed management planning decisions in relation to policy development, stewardship priorities and education and communication programs. 

Peter Sale
Chair
Muskoka Watershed Council

November 17, 2014
 

Corporate Partnerships & Associations

Partnerships and Accreditations