Inspection & Maintenance Training for SWM Ponds and Low Impact Development
Caledon
October 6, 2021
Since 2019, STEP has been delivering field and online workshops for municipal staff focused on inspecting and maintaining stormwater infrastructure like ponds and low impact development features. In 2024 and 2025, through the generous support of the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, these courses have been and are being offered at locations within and beyond the GTA.
Participants attending the field workshops will learn through direct demonstration of best practices for inspecting and maintaining these facilities and troubleshooting issues, cycling through a series of themed rotation stations run by experienced STEP instructors and municipal representatives. The information is disseminated through on-site knowledge and technique sharing to support municipalities’ efforts in maintaining SWM feature functionality while maximizing service life. The format of the course is meant to engage and allow for productive discussions, with Q&A periods built into each station and ample time to network with instructors and other municipal staff in attendance.
Virtual workshops focus less on instructional content and more on diving into to key topics in the realm of inspection and maintenance of SWM features. In this session guest speakers share information on their projects and programs and participants take part in moderated discussions on the key challenges municipalities are dealing with and what solutions and approaches have worked for others.
Courses running in 2025 are reserved for conservation authority and/or municipal staff working in LID and SWM inspection and maintenance in Ontario.
SWM Pond Training
TOPICS
- Bathymetric surveys
- Maintenance infrastructure and monitoring
- Sediment removal
- CLI-ECA compliance
Virtual workshop – Tuesday, December 2, 2025 – 9:30am-12:00pm (municipal staff only)
This online workshop is open to and intended for municipal staff involved in stormwater pond inspection and maintenance within Ontario.
The purpose of this training course is to assist municipalities in developing and improving stormwater management pond inspection, maintenance prioritization, and basic monitoring methods for stormwater management pond assets. Along with STEP partners, experienced municipal staff will share experiences and knowledge from their own inspection and maintenance programs. The workshop will be run in a conference style format, with presentations and case studies being shared by municipal and conservation authority staff, and ample opportunities for questions and discussion.
| 9:30am-9:40am | Introduction & housekeeping |
|
9:40am – 10:15am |
“Dewatering SWM Pond Sediment Without an On-site Sediment Drying Area (an update)” – Darlene Conway (City of Ottawa) “Case Study of a Winter Clean-out: Kanata Town Centre Pond” – Alden Crossman (City of Ottawa) |
|
10:15am – 10:45am |
“SWM Monitoring and Maintenance Programs” – William Withers (City of Richmond Hill) |
|
10:45am-11:00am |
Break |
|
11:00am-11:30am |
“Stormwater under Pressure: Navigating Operations and Maintenance Manual Development under the CLI-ECA” – Craig Schritt (Town of Newmarket) |
|
11:30am-11:45am |
Wrap-up |
LID Training
TOPICS
- Bioretention material and plantings
- Permeable pavement infiltration testing and cleaning
- Bioswale performance monitoring
Virtual workshop – Wednesday, December 10, 2025 – 1:00pm-3:30pm (municipal staff only)
This online workshop is open to and intended for municipal staff involved in low impact development inspection and maintenance within Ontario.
The purpose of this training course is to assist municipalities in developing and improving LID inspection, maintenance prioritization, and basic monitoring methods for LID assets. Along with STEP partners, experienced municipal staff will share experiences and knowledge from their own inspection and maintenance programs. The workshop will be run in a conference style format, with presentations and case studies being shared by municipal and conservation authority staff, and ample opportunities for questions and discussion.
While the final agenda is still being finalized, we will be hearing from representatives from the City of Vancouver, Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority, and others to be confirmed.
| 1:00pm-1:05pm | Introduction & housekeeping |
|
1:05am – 1:35pm |
First speaker (TBA) |
|
1:35am – 2:05pm |
Second speaker (TBA) |
|
2:05pm-2:15pm |
Break |
|
2:15pm-2:45pm |
Third speaker (TBA) |
|
2:25pm-3:15pm |
Fourth speaker (TBA) |
| 3:15pm-3:30pm | Wrap-up |
Additional Resources
STEP Wiki LID I&M
SWM Pond FAQ
SWM Pond 101 Webinar*
SWM Pond I&M Guide
*Password: STEP220824SWMP
For any additional questions, please contact lisa.rocha@trca.ca