Actions for Infrastructure

WHAT

  • Putting Your Community on Solid Ground

    Infrastructure systems can deliver the services citizens need in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. Such systems are efficient and integrated, and take advantage of ecosystem-based infrastructure to reduce carbon footprints and resource requirements, and provide better value. On average, operation and maintenance of delivery systems account for 80% of a local government’s infrastructure costs. As such, long-term sustainability is a key consideration for infrastructure planning.
    An anaerobic digester at Metro Vancouver's Iona Island wastewater treatment plant produces gas for on-site power generation / Bud Fraser, 2008.An anaerobic digester at Metro Vancouver's Iona Island wastewater treatment plant produces gas for on-site power generation / Bud Fraser, 2008.

    Sustainable, low carbon infrastructure typically within local government jurisdiction includes:

    • Water Supply, stormwater and wastewater systems that safely manage our water, are energy efficient, reduce the burden on water supplies and reduce ecological impacts.
    • Ecosystems such as forests, urban landscaping, and aquatic systems that are integrated into the green/ecological infrastructure network of the community.
    • Solid waste management systems that divert waste from landfills and utilize waste as a valuable source of materials and sometimes energy.
    • Energy systems that provide clean, renewable sources of heat and electricity. Historically, these systems are not usually part of local government operations, but opportunities are emerging.
    • Integration of the above systems wherever possible, and creation of closed loops that treat “waste” as a resource and potential revenue source.

    Roads, sidewalks and other transportation infrastructure are also part of local government infrastructure. These are addressed in Development & Servicing Bylaws & Standards; refer to the Transportation sector for more transportation information.
    Kelowna and Vernon compost wastewater biosolids to produce Ogo Grow fertilizer / M. Watt & G. Light, City of KelownaKelowna and Vernon compost wastewater biosolids to produce Ogo Grow fertilizer / M. Watt & G. Light, City of Kelowna

    Infrastructure-related emissions can be addressed through: 

    • Optimization of system design and operations, typically within local government control.
    • Demand management (e.g., example water conservation), which reduces system sizing and energy consumption, can be strongly influenced by the local government, though it is dependent on user behaviour.

    Sustainable, low carbon infrastructure is linked to sustainable community planning:

    • Complete communities provide local energy load diversity - in other words the different daily energy demand patterns of residential, commercial, and industrial uses that can support district energy systems with renewable energy sources
    • Compact communities can reduce infrastructure servicing costs, reduce energy needed for moving resources such as water and waste around, and support district energy systems
    • Green buildings can reduce energy demand, water demand, and wastewater flows.

    [Use the tabs above to learn WHY this sector is important in GHG management and HOW you can reduce emissions in infrastructure.]
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HOW

  • Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions

    Lake Country will be installing a micro hydro turbine for the Hydroelectric Generation Project. The project is expected to be operating by the spring of 2009. / UBCM.Lake Country will be installing a micro hydro turbine for the Hydroelectric Generation Project. The project is expected to be operating by the spring of 2009. / UBCM.To address infrastructure emissions, governments can take action on infrastructure design and operations (generally under more direct government control); they can also take action to manage community demand, reducing infrastructure emissions and costs, as well as contributing to community sustainability.

    Water Supply and Wastewater Management | Solid Waste Management | Energy Systems and Lighting

    All Systems

    Implementing new or modified approaches to infrastructure planning, design, construction and operation can result in more efficient, cost effective and sustainable infrastructure – ideally doing “more with less”.

    The solutions in this section can potentially apply to all infrastructure systems, helping to drive more specific actions for each type of infrastructure – water supply, wastewater, solid waste, energy systems and lighting.

    Plans

    • Official Community Plan: The OCP sets out key climate goals and targets for a community, and as well as sets directions for energy and resource usage that will influence infrastructure-related emissions.
    • Regional Growth Strategy: The RGS can shape growth and land use across a region, influencing future infrastructure-related emissions.
    • Integrated Resource Recovery: Focuses on an integrated, closed loop approach to planning and managing community infrastructure to maximize recovery of value from waste resources

    Policies

    • Green infrastructure policy: incorporate emissions-related objectives and targets into policies such as purchasing policy
    • Subdivision, Development and Servicing Bylaws and Standards: right-size systems and incorporate current best practices such as standards for roads, water supply, stormwater, and wastewater infrastructure

    Processes

    • Infrastructure design & engineering: design for energy efficiency and reduced emissions
    • Inventories: Establish an energy and emissions baseline and monitoring process
    • Analysis & accounting: use Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) to evaluate new infrastructure projects

    Projects

    • Ecosystems: incorporate ecosystems into infrastructure

    Water Supply and Wastewater Management

    By installing a solar powered circulator (SolarBee), the District of Elkford no longer needs to add chemicals to its liquid waste sewage lagoons, reducing maintenance costs and all hydro costs. / District of Elkford.By installing a solar powered circulator (SolarBee), the District of Elkford no longer needs to add chemicals to its liquid waste sewage lagoons, reducing maintenance costs and all hydro costs. / District of Elkford.Water supply and wastewater management (including wastewater collection and treatment, and stormwater management) systems often account for a significant portion of government operations energy consumption, as well as capital and operating costs. Optimizing design and operation, as well as changing demand patterns, can reduce government energy consumption, emissions and costs.

    Plans

    Policies

    • Subdivision, Development and Servicing Bylaws and Standards: right-size systems; incorporate current best practices for water supply, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure

    Processes

    • Asset management: minimize leakage and sewer infiltration and inflow through effective monitoring, maintenance and upgrading of systems

    Projects

    • Water conservation: implement water demand management in both government operations and the community - saving water, energy and money at the water and wastewater treatment plants and within the community
    • Water management committee or task force: create a task force of knowledgeable stakeholders to work together to create a sustainable (and low emissions) water management strategy

    Solid Waste Management

    Though emissions associated with landfills are not included within the Carbon Neutral Local framework, addressing solid waste emissions can reduce real emissions from operations (e.g. waste management fleets and facilities), and the community (e.g. upstream manufacturing emissions).

    Plans

    Policies

    • Waste diversion targets: set short, medium and long term waste diversion and disposal targets for the community that will impact both community and government infrastructure emissions

    The Hartland Landfill Green Power Project converts landfill gas to electricity, producing 12,274 megawatthours of electricity per year. / Capital Regional District. The Hartland Landfill Green Power Project converts landfill gas to electricity, producing 12,274 megawatthours of electricity per year. / Capital Regional District. Projects

    • Organics management: keep organics, especially readily-degradable organics (e.g. food waste), out of the landfill, through composting, education and other initiatives
    • Recycling and waste reduction: divert recyclable resources from the landfill, through initiatives that include education packages and industry programs such as construction waste management
    • Landfill gas: capture and utilize landfill gas to displace fossil fuels
    • Education packages: create a package of information or a communications campaign to educate homeowners and businesses on ways to recycle and reduce waste.

    Energy Systems and Lighting

    Emissions associated with government and community buildings can be addressed through creation of efficient and/or renewable energy infrastructure systems. Historically, energy supply systems are not usually part of local government operations, but opportunities are emerging in district systems and renewable sources.

    Plans

    • Community Energy Plan: make plans and develop strategies for energy infrastructure within a broader energy and emissions plan. The CEA created a Community Energy and Emissions Planning guide which describes the purpose and content of a community energy and emissions plan, its benefits, and how to go about creating one.

    Projects

    • Street lighting: retrofit existing systems and design new street lighting systems with efficient, low maintenance light sources
    • Renewables: explore alternative and renewable energy sources and partnerships
    • District energy: implement district energy systems that can serve community and potentially civic buildings
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WHY

  • Role in the Local Government and Community

    Infrastructure plays a significant role in local government energy consumption & emissions. Water supply, wastewater and solid waste management, and other systems also account for major capital and operating costs, and these costs are increasing rapidly, as regulations change and construction costs of public works escalate.

    300 HP air blowers for a wastewater treatment plant / Mixing Systems Inc.300 HP air blowers for a wastewater treatment plant / Mixing Systems Inc.Efficient and effective infrastructure systems can reduce both emissions and costs. Investments in efficiency can potentially pay back quickly, and can contribute to meeting carbon commitments for local government operations.

    Community demand, such as for drinking water, is closely linked with infrastructure impacts (including emissions) and costs. Investing in community resource conservation and demand management can result in long term benefits in terms of emissions and the bottom line for local government operations, in addition to addressing other sustainability objectives. Demand management also contributes to community wide emission reductions. The City of Kelowna made water conservation a priority and developed educational resources including water efficiency guidelines / City of KelownaThe City of Kelowna made water conservation a priority and developed educational resources including water efficiency guidelines / City of Kelowna

    Low carbon infrastructure can also address emissions that result from construction (for example, from concrete production) as well as operation. Life cycle emissions for most buildings and many types of facilities and equipment are typically dominated by operations rather than construction. However, construction emissions are immediate and therefore important in addressing near term emissions goals.

    Land use/transportation patterns also affect infrastructure-related emissions, such as emissions resulting from road construction. For example, larger roads in low-density areas will entail increased use of emissions-intensive materials such as asphalt and concrete. Compact communities typically have lower servicing costs over the long term [1]. Refer to the transportation and land use sectors for more detail.

     

    [Use the tabs above to learn HOW you can reduce emissions in infrastructure.]

     

    [1] Halifax Regional Municipality. (2005). Settlement Pattern & Form with Service Costs Analysis. http://www.halifax.ca/regionalplanning/publications/documents/PatternBookVol2Apr05.pdf

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