volume 1 - Halifax Regional Municipality

Halifax Water Integrated Resource Plan
Executive Summary
ES 2.
ES 3.
STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH
A comprehensive program of public consultation was undertaken as a key component of
the IRP development process, seeking input, ideas and feedback from the public, nongovernmental
organizations, and the municipal and provincial government as per the
IRP Terms of Reference.
The project team met with various stakeholder groups for one-on-one meetings in
parallel with the technical review from July to September 2011.
A series of five Technical Conferences were held for the stakeholders to review the IRP
process covering review of the Terms of Reference, model assumptions and plan
considerations, analysis results, selection of the preferred resource plan, action plan,
and the IRP recommendations.
Halifax Water has addressed relevant stakeholder comments from the one-on-one
meetings and Technical Conferences through the implementation of a broad IRP
analysis framework.
PLANNING CONTEXT
Halifax Water presently operates and manages all elements of the water and
wastewater system but only specific portions of the stormwater system. Halifax Water is
responsible for operating and maintaining existing stormwater infrastructure located
within the street right-of-way (ROW) or easements owned by Halifax Water.
Two provincial bodies have responsibility for oversight of Halifax Water – Nova Scotia
Utility and Review Board (NSUARB) and Nova Scotia Environment (NSE). Federal
departments including Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Environment Canada
(EC) and Health Canada (HC) may also play an oversight role for specific projects and
activities.
The NSUARB is the critical body that approves business plans, significant projects and
sets rates. Any new projects or programs would be subject to Board approval, for
example a specific project fulfilling a regulatory requirement.
NSE is the environmental regulator ensuring public health and environmental quality.
NSE specifically regulates drinking water quality as well as municipal and industrial
discharges from wastewater treatment plants and other sources such as overflows. NSE
key roles in relation to this can be summarized as:
• Setting drinking water and ambient water quality standards;
• Issuing approvals for water, wastewater and stormwater systems;
• Inspection and monitoring of permits and approvals; and,
• Enforcement activities and response to public issues and complaints.
Revision: 2012-10-29 Integrated Resource Plan – Executive Summary ES-2
October 31 2012 Page 4 of 272