STORMWATER POLAND 2019 conference program was based on five related thematic blocks:
- Standards of maintenance and equipment of drainage systems;
- Rainwater in the development of urban space;
- Rain water as a managerial challenge;
- Mechanisms of financing rainwater management;
- Going digital – the implementation process of digital rainwater management.
The legitimacy of the first block subject called “Standards for maintaining and equipping drainage systems” is obvious to the participants of the recently completed conference “Bydgoszcz Retention + 2050”. We can confidently say that the daring project of preparation of local rainwater standards, of which we were the inspirers and co-participants, succeeded thanks to the involvement of MWiK in Bydgoszcz and the partners invited to this project. However, the STORMWATER POLAND conference brings together an even wider circle of rainwater stakeholders, both foreign and Polish. Therefore, we are planning to take advantage of this potential by attempting to work out the foundations of nationwide standards based on experience from around the world. It is a block in which each of you can bring new value.
The second block, about “Rainwater in the management of urban space”, will be devoted to real dialogue with urban planners. During the conference we will begin a discussion aimed at coordinating the management of rainwater with the development and transformations of our cities. If we do not start to program the development of urban space taking into account the needs of the drainage system development and retention, then – although no one will admit defeat – every inhabitant of large and small cities will pay for it.
Within this block, we will reach for inspirational examples of international practices on various scales, which prove that water is a resource conditioning the proper development of all cities. Maybe it will be possible to develop new provisions for the development plans of our cities or better ways to implement existing ones.
We perceive rainwater management as a real managerial challenge; hence, the third block of our conference: “Rainwater as a managerial challenge”. In previous editions of the conference, we hosted people in managerial positions responsible for rainwater management. Despite their rich experience, their role was often limited to listening to what scientists, engineers, or foreign guests had to say. This time, we want to change roles and, in the form of a discussion panel, to hear about the greatest challenges that managers of drainage systems must face.
We are aware that one of the most important challenges is financing the maintenance of drainage systems. Hence, a separate block called “Funding mechanisms for rainwater management”. We want to show you the methods of forecasting the costs of operating drainage systems, estimating their costs when taking over existing assets, but also talk about the real mechanisms for stable financing of drainage systems (in Polish conditions). Together with our partners, we have prepared a very interesting offer of complementary workshops, conducted by experts in the field of economics and law, who will draw up a roadmap for rainwater management.
Finally, we will take up the topic of modern tools for rainwater management. We would like to encourage you to use a completely new tooling workshop through the block “Going digital – the process of implementing digital rainwater management”. Starting the exploitation or thorough change of its business model, let’s reach for the tools of the future. With the help of conference partners, we will show that such tools are already in use and can effectively support the technical and managerial staff in each company.