Meet Your Stormwater Superstars
Spring - Engineer Technologist III
Spring in the woodsAs an Engineer Technologist III with the City, Spring plays a pivotal role in enforcing and advancing stormwater management practices.
By identifying data gaps, establishing maintenance and inspection procedures, and evaluating stormwater systems, Spring helps ensure Campbell River's stormwater utility operates efficiently and sustainably.
Whether she's updating City bylaws, working alongside local organizations, or researching advancements in the latest stormwater technology, Spring helps to promote best practices in stormwater management, enhancing the City's stormwater strategies.
“Stormwater management is essential for sustainable urban development,” Spring emphasizes. “By implementing effective strategies, we can mitigate flooding, improve water quality, and meet future environmental regulations.”
Through her expertise and dedication, Spring is helping to shape a resilient and environmentally conscious city for generations to come.
Tyson - Hydro Excavation Truck Operator
Meet Tyson, a life-long Campbell River resident and stormwater expert! Tyson loves living here, with so many great things to appreciate including the nearby ocean and having a great community.
When he’s not golfing and admiring the beautiful views of Campbell River, Tyson works for the City as a Hydro Excavation Truck Operator. What is this, you might ask? A hydro excavation truck has a flushing pipe on the front to flush out sewers and pipes, and a vacuum on the side for removing dirt and debris. Tyson gets right into the thick of things to ensure that City infrastructure, including stormwater, is well maintained.
When asked about the link between stormwater and the everyday life of residents of Campbell River, Tyson highlighted that, “When I first started working with the City, I didn’t realize the work that goes into managing stormwater on a day-to-day basis. The system is running continuously with water flowing all the time; when it’s raining or snowing, people don’t realize the water has to go somewhere. Instead of flooding or pooling and freezing – all of which can damage people’s property - it’s going into catch basins and pipes. The City does a good job of keeping the water flowing into the catch basins and protecting residents and property.”
Tyson also explains how modern technology can help manage and maintain catch basins. “There is a lot of salt and sand in the catch basins after the winter, and in the new subdivisions we see a lot of concrete, all of which can stop the catch basin from working properly. The City has developed an effective mapping system to identify which catch basins need cleaning.”
Joe - Department of Sewage and Drainage
Tyson (left) and Joe (right) with Hydro ExcavationTruck
Say hello to dedicated stormwater service expert, Joe! Joe has been working with the City of Campbell River in the Department of Sewage and Drainage since 2015, and has had his fair share of stormwater experience.
Joe starts his day off as Field Service Supervisor by meeting with his crew and delegating tasks. Each member of Joe’s team holds a different position involving different tasks. Joe works with a CCTV Operator, who runs cameras through sewage and drainage pipes and sends reports on their condition to Joe. Joe also supervises a vacuum truck operator who drives a truck with equipment that cleans drainage and sewage collection pipes.
On a day-to-day basis, Joe’s team also receives service requests to repair stormwater infrastructure. This could include fixing a damaged catch basin or a blocked culvert. “Anyone can send in a service request,” says Joe, “In fact, we normally receive them from the general public, and only occasionally from City staff.”
If you ever have a service request, know that Joe will be there to attend to it!
Terri - Environmental Specialist (Retired)
Terri in a local riverTerri recently retired after working for the City of Campbell River as an Environmental Specialist for the past 17 years, and he could tell you everything there is to know about the City’s waterways.
Terri’s desire to make a meaningful impact in his field of work brought him to the area. He knows that proper stormwater management starts at the planning stages. In his role with the City, Terri determined how new development projects would impact natural waterways. For example, if a developer was working near a stream, Terri and his team would review how the new subdivision would manage stormwater in order to minimize the impact on nearby waterways.
Another important part of Terri’s job was to ensure the City adhered to provincial and federal government environmental regulations. This included revising municipal policies when provincial or federal government regulations and priorities changed. “We have an obligation to meet regulations around environmental protection and do as little harm as we can.” Terri said. He also worked with local volunteers, like Greenways Land Trust's Streamkeepers, to ensure they adhered to the City's guidelines.
Stormwater management is not a stand-alone aspect of the City’s services; it is interconnected with everything around it. Terri offered this perspective: “We (as a society) depend on consistent ecological conditions. All communities are fully dependent on nature and the organisms going about their day-to-day business, which contribute to making Campbell River a great place to live. Managing stormwater is an integral part of ensuring that all these organisms are working well together.”