SUPPORT TOOLS | WATER
STEP offers a number of tools to help in the design, construction, monitoring, inspection, and operation and maintenance of stormwater management best practices.
Compost Amended Planting Soil Specification Template
The template provides specification writers an easy means of incorporating recommended minimum standards and best practices for alleviating excessive soil compaction and implementing compost-based organic amendment practices into their plans, designs or standards. The template specification is based on the Canadian National Master Specification (NMS) and CSI Masterformat® templates in common use by engineers and landscape designers in Ontario and incorporates aspects of the Planting Soil template developed by the Urban Tree Foundation.
Huntush Groundwater Mounding Calculator
A metric units conversion ‘skin’ on a validated model by USGS. The purpose is to predict the impact of groundwater mounding both beneath and adjacent to LID infiltration practices.
Low Impact Development Life Cycle Costing Tool
A spreadsheet decision support tool based on the cost calculations gathered from RS Means, industry surveys and other sources, developed to assist industry professionals estimate the capital and life cycle costs of site specific LID practice designs. The tool provides users with a comprehensive understanding of all relevant costs, facilitates cost comparisons, and allows users to optimize proposed designs based on both performance and cost.
Low Impact Development Planning and Design Guide
This updated version of the guide reflects best current practices in LID and includes recommendations based on findings since the publication of Version 1.0 (2010). Advice and decision making tools for the selection, design and construction of BMPs are being collated according to feedback and questions from engineers, ecologists, planners and landscape architects. The new online format is readily citable and tracks all reviews. Your participation and feedback is welcome.
Low Impact Development Treatment Train Tool
The LID TTT’s purpose is to provide a planning (conceptual -> detailed) design tool to better site design stormwater management practices like LID. The tool provides the following computational results for event-based or annual based simulations: i. TSS and TP water quality loading reductions for each sub-catchment and the entire site. ii. Preliminary Post to pre-water budget predictions. iii. Post to pre-peak flow results. iv. Assessment/summary of LID treatment train performance, reflecting on stormwater volume reduction target depth and desired draw-down times for each BMP/LID.
Municipal Natural Assets Initiative
The Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) pilot project for the Region of Peel quantifies the level of stormwater services (flood control and water quality control) provided by natural assets such as wetlands, forests and open green spaces, and the value of such services under existing climate and with climate change. The valuation is intended to assist municipalities in accounting for natural assets in municipal asset management framework. The study was completed for two sub-watersheds within CVC’s jurisdiction of Peel, and is being expanded to include all of credit river watershed and the entire Region of Peel.
Oil Grit Separator Sizing Tool
The tool, developed by the City of Toronto with STEP and industry input, provides sizing recommendations for Oil Grit Separators based on site characteristics, municipal water quality objectives and ETV/ISO performance testing.
Percolation Test to Ksat Convertor
A tool to enable better conversion between observed percolation rate and field saturated hydraulic conductivity.
Rainwater Harvesting Design and Costing Tool
This Microsoft Excel-based tool was developed to assist with the design, sizing and costing of residential and commercial scale rainwater harvesting systems. The tool is relatively simple and easy to use and has been verified against actual monitoring data. Simply provide information about your rainwater harvesting project – such as roof area, number of building occupants, and proposed rainwater uses – and the tool will calculate the optimum size of the rainwater storage tank and system components, and provide an estimate of how much the rainwater harvesting system will cost.
Risk and Return on Investment Tool
A tool for water infrastructure that will help municipalities and conservation authorities make evidence-based cost-effective decisions to reduce flood risk. The tool will perform the following key functions: i. Fully assess baseline flood risk and quantify the potential impact. ii. Evaluate overall risk-reduction that can be achieved by various management options. iii. Perform a financial assessment of the return on investment associated with each management option, by comparing life cycle costs to the costs mitigated by reducing flood risk.
Topsoil and Soil Amendment Calculator
This best practices guide is intended to provide both the rationale and practical guidance needed to improve conventional urban construction, soil management practices in Ontario. It is a useful resource for designers and engineers involved in urban and landscape design, government agencies involved in the permitting and inspection of urban construction projects, and contractors involved in urban construction and landscaping.
Green Infrastructure Asset Management Tool
A tool to support integrating green infrastructure asset management with existing grey infrastructure software. The tool will include a platform for tracking inspection and maintenance information for green infrastructure facilities.
Integrated Water Management Tool
The primary goal of this study is to provide municipalities with a quantified estimate of what highly connected and spatially intensive Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure (GI) could achieve in terms of reducing impacts of stormwater flows in catchments or neighbourhoods that currently experience issues with overland runoff, severe erosion and/or water quality impairments; impacts that are likely to be exacerbated under future climate conditions.
Source Water Protection Water Quality Risk Assessment for Climate Change –
Handbook / Worksheet
A science-based handbook for the assessment of source water quality vulnerabilities to climate change. The handbook will assist Source Water Protection Committees with the preparation of climate change adaptation policies to address the relevant climate change impacts associated with their source protection areas. The handbook will include guidance and worksheets for carrying out climate change vulnerability assessment in order to incorporate relevant broad scale indicators into the drinking source water vulnerability scoring assessment.
Stormwater Management Facilities – Maintenance Tracking Status – Asset Management Tool
A tool to enhance the ability for agencies to track the presence and maintenance status of stormwater management facilities, including LID, in the Lake Simcoe watershed.
Compost Amended Planting Soil Specification Template
The template provides specification writers an easy means of incorporating recommended minimum standards and best practices for alleviating excessive soil compaction and implementing compost-based organic amendment practices into their plans, designs or standards. The template specification is based on the Canadian National Master Specification (NMS) and CSI Masterformat® templates in common use by engineers and landscape designers in Ontario and incorporates aspects of the Planting Soil template developed by the Urban Tree Foundation.
Huntush Groundwater Mounding Calculator
A metric units conversion ‘skin’ on a validated model by USGS. The purpose is to predict the impact of groundwater mounding both beneath and adjacent to LID infiltration practices.
Low Impact Development Life Cycle Costing Tool
A spreadsheet decision support tool based on the cost calculations gathered from RS Means, industry surveys and other sources, developed to assist industry professionals estimate the capital and life cycle costs of site specific LID practice designs. The tool provides users with a comprehensive understanding of all relevant costs, facilitates cost comparisons, and allows users to optimize proposed designs based on both performance and cost.
Low Impact Development Planning and Design Guide
This updated version of the guide reflects best current practices in LID and includes recommendations based on findings since the publication of Version 1.0 (2010). Advice and decision making tools for the selection, design and construction of BMPs are being collated according to feedback and questions from engineers, ecologists, planners and landscape architects. The new online format is readily citable and tracks all reviews. Your participation and feedback is welcome.
Low Impact Development Treatment Train Tool
The LID TTT’s purpose is to provide a planning (conceptual -> detailed) design tool to better site design stormwater management practices like LID. The tool provides the following computational results for event-based or annual based simulations: i. TSS and TP water quality loading reductions for each sub-catchment and the entire site. ii. Preliminary Post to pre-water budget predictions. iii. Post to pre-peak flow results. iv. Assessment/summary of LID treatment train performance, reflecting on stormwater volume reduction target depth and desired draw-down times for each BMP/LID.
Municipal Natural Assets Initiative
The Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) pilot project for the Region of Peel quantifies the level of stormwater services (flood control and water quality control) provided by natural assets such as wetlands, forests and open green spaces, and the value of such services under existing climate and with climate change. The valuation is intended to assist municipalities in accounting for natural assets in municipal asset management framework. The study was completed for two sub-watersheds within CVC’s jurisdiction of Peel, and is being expanded to include all of credit river watershed and the entire Region of Peel.
Oil Grit Separator Sizing Tool
The tool, developed by the City of Toronto with STEP and industry input, provides sizing recommendations for Oil Grit Separators based on site characteristics, municipal water quality objectives and ETV/ISO performance testing.
Percolation Test to Ksat Convertor
A tool to enable better conversion between observed percolation rate and field saturated hydraulic conductivity.
Rainwater Harvesting Design and Costing Tool
This Microsoft Excel-based tool was developed to assist with the design, sizing and costing of residential and commercial scale rainwater harvesting systems. The tool is relatively simple and easy to use and has been verified against actual monitoring data. Simply provide information about your rainwater harvesting project – such as roof area, number of building occupants, and proposed rainwater uses – and the tool will calculate the optimum size of the rainwater storage tank and system components, and provide an estimate of how much the rainwater harvesting system will cost.
Risk and Return on Investment Tool
A tool for water infrastructure that will help municipalities and conservation authorities make evidence-based cost-effective decisions to reduce flood risk. The tool will perform the following key functions: i. Fully assess baseline flood risk and quantify the potential impact. ii. Evaluate overall risk-reduction that can be achieved by various management options. iii. Perform a financial assessment of the return on investment associated with each management option, by comparing life cycle costs to the costs mitigated by reducing flood risk.
Topsoil and Soil Amendment Calculator
This best practices guide is intended to provide both the rationale and practical guidance needed to improve conventional urban construction, soil management practices in Ontario. It is a useful resource for designers and engineers involved in urban and landscape design, government agencies involved in the permitting and inspection of urban construction projects, and contractors involved in urban construction and landscaping.
Green Infrastructure Asset Management Tool
A tool to support integrating green infrastructure asset management with existing grey infrastructure software. The tool will include a platform for tracking inspection and maintenance information for green infrastructure facilities.
Integrated Water Management Tool
The primary goal of this study is to provide municipalities with a quantified estimate of what highly connected and spatially intensive Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure (GI) could achieve in terms of reducing impacts of stormwater flows in catchments or neighbourhoods that currently experience issues with overland runoff, severe erosion and/or water quality impairments; impacts that are likely to be exacerbated under future climate conditions.
Source Water Protection Water Quality Risk Assessment for Climate Change –
Handbook / Worksheet
A science-based handbook for the assessment of source water quality vulnerabilities to climate change. The handbook will assist Source Water Protection Committees with the preparation of climate change adaptation policies to address the relevant climate change impacts associated with their source protection areas. The handbook will include guidance and worksheets for carrying out climate change vulnerability assessment in order to incorporate relevant broad scale indicators into the drinking source water vulnerability scoring assessment.
Stormwater Management Facilities – Maintenance Tracking Status – Asset Management Tool
A tool to enhance the ability for agencies to track the presence and maintenance status of stormwater management facilities, including LID, in the Lake Simcoe watershed.
Access STEP’s Resource Library to view the latest and most relevant reports, guidelines, tools, videos and online content on sustainable water management and energy conservation.