Article content

Building more natural infrastructure may just be a great way to save taxpayers money in the short and long term, a new report shows.

Article content

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) released a new report that water infrastructure in Canada’s prairies is under threat but natural infrastructure may be the way forward to fix our ailing water systems.

Article content

Water pipes and treatment facilities are depreciating at an “alarming rate,” the Winnipeg-based think tank says. Natural infrastructure can be described as using nature to meet infrastructure needs. Basically, using the land to our advantage.

Wetlands, grasslands or forested areas are all examples of natural infrastructure, says IISD’s director of water management Dimple Roy. Restoring shorelines or installing green roofs are ways humans can spend a little cash to help restore nature and also help meet infrastructure needs.

Article content

Roy said that since the end of the Second World War, the common practice has been to move water using engineers — be it grey water, dams or treatment facilities. No need to throw out the engineering degree though.

“I think what we’ve found with our research over the past decade or so has been that nature can really play a role,” she added.

“There are many opportunities out there to save money to actually have more cost-effective solutions, or sometimes just have nature play a complementary role. So it doesn’t have to be gray or green, it can actually be a combination.”

Roy said that the reason more natural infrastructure is not in place is because it’s less standardized. There are engineering professionals, there are codes and standards that need to be followed when building water infrastructure.

Article content

“Those systems don’t exist as commonly for nature,” Roy said. “We’re doing some research on the relevant professional practices related to natural infrastructure.”

This would be ecologists, landscape architects and planners, Roy said.

It may be high time that governments learn to work with nature, rather than against it. Humans often think we know best but when it comes to Mother Nature and water — it doesn’t really care what we think.

Of course, aging water infrastructure is a problem and moving a vital resource that people rely on daily is necessary. Roy pointed to some reports that highlight up to 30% of the infrastructure in the prairies is in poor to fair condition.

“The prairies are a bit of a hotspot, we’ve had more floods, more droughts, more wildfires, in the past five years, even a decade than ever before,” Roy said. “If we think we’re already facing an infrastructure gap, this is going to get worse.”

Article content

The good news is that the cost to taxpayers will ultimately be lower if more governments incorporate natural elements. It’s going to get pricier to fix these old pipes and treatment facilities. Winnipeg knows all too well as sends billions on the North End Water Sewage Treatment plant project.

“This is where we hope that our research will start moving the needle a bit faster, that we and others like us are beginning to show evidence that these are more cost-effective, not just upfront, but over time, and they give us a better return on investment than some of the traditional options,” Roy said.

The report did highlight some examples of natural infrastructure in Winnipeg and Manitoba including Pelly’s Lake, which is an engineered wetland near Holland, Man., that is estimated to provide $2 million annually in clean water and flood protection.

Article content

The report also pointed to Winnipeg’s urban tree canopy — a hot-button topic last fall during the election — that provides $3.23 million annually in stormwater management by avoiding runoff. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in downtown Winnipeg also boasts a green roof, Roy pointed out.

“It’s built on native prairie grasslands and Prairie species,” she said. “But it’s also in fact, a rainwater harvesting system and takes away some of the burden from the combined sewer overflow system that the City of Winnipeg has.”

Policymakers at the local level all the way up to the national level would be wise to read the IISD report and incorporate more nature into their infrastructure designs, which will benefit taxpayers’ wallets but also their well-being. More nature in cities helps people relax, Roy said, something that became evident as public spaces were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We need more natural areas,” she said. “If we can find the win-win solution that results in us having more nature and that those naturalized areas are also helping to keep our water accessible and cleaner, […] I think it’s just a good news story all around and it saves us money in the long run.”

rstelter@postmedia.com

Twitter: @steltsy94

To sign up for Ryan’s weekly newsletter GIMME STELTER, click here.

Share this article in your social network