Policy Scoping

In December 2009, Government initiated its engagement process on Water Act Modernization by launching the Living Water Smart Blog. The blog provided information and acted as a forum through which British Columbians could discuss water issues and options for legislative change.
 
In February 2010, Government invited submissions from British Columbians on the Water Act Modernization Discussion Paper. The discussion paper proposed eight principles to underpin a modernized Water Act as well as four goals, supporting objectives and possible solutions. The discussion paper and a supporting Technical Background Report were devel­oped to further encourage dialogue on ways to modernize the Water Act and describe oppor­tunities for using, sustaining and managing water resources in our changing environment.
 
Discussion Paper [PDF 2.69MB] – February 2010
 
Technical Background Report [PDF 3.14MB] – February 2010
 
During this phase British Columbians sent in thousands of submissions and offered many great ideas covering everything from how to protect groundwater to how to ensure that streams and lakes stay healthy. In December 2010 government released a Report on Engagement summarizing this input from British Columbians. Comments received covered a broad range of interests and perspectives. Overall, there was broad support for the eight principles and goals described in the Discussion Paper.
 
Report on Engagement [PDF 11.27MB] – September 2010