WELCOME TO THE CITY OF COQUITLAM WATER BALANCE TOOL

Find out how you can develop/redevelop your land AND help us restore our region’s natural water balance.

When natural areas are altered by human development we lose the slow-release, sponge-like functions of vegetation and soil which upsets the balance and flow of water.

An unbalanced flow of water through the watershed means:

  • Too much flow during wet weather periods:  fast-moving water rushes off hard surfaces like driveways, building roofs, decks, compacted soil and parking lots. As a result, there is an increase in stream erosion, slope destabilization, poor drainage, stream pollution and mud slides. These impacts are not only damaging to the environment but often require expensive stormwater infrastructure to remedy.
  • Not enough flow during dry weather periods: when streams and aquifers are not recharged by infiltration during the rainy season, streams can dry up in the summer. As a result, fish and other aquatic life cannot survive and vegetation dies.

There are costs, liabilities and sustainability consequences associated with each extreme which interrupts nature’s FREE delivery of rainwater management services.

The Water Balance Model Express is an online tool intended primarily for homeowners in Coquitlam. The Express lets homeowners experiment with actions they can take to support healthy creeks and watersheds. The Express guides property owners through a simple set of options for sizing rain gardens, swales, cisterns and landscaping.