Abstract
This paper argues that values, perceptions, and attitudes affect decision making in water management and that a better understanding of water ethics will ensure more reliable management practices. A Canadian case study, focusing on the City of Toronto’s Biosolids and Residuals Master Plan (BRMP), illustrates the importance of values in water management practices. In 2007, the author served as one of a seven member expert peer review panel to evaluate the model used by consultants to recommend biosolids management upgrades at each of the city’s four wastewater treatment plants. Both the decision-making model as well as community reactions to the model and master plan revealed value judgments that ultimately affected the management process and implementation of recommendations over recent years.
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Notes
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Other members of the Peer Review Panel were Dr. Ida Ferrara, York University; Mr. Paul Kadota, P.Eng., Greater Vancouver Regional District; Mr. Mark C. Meckes, United States Environmental Protection Agency; Dr. David Pengally, McMaster University; Dr. Lesbia Smith, University of Toronto; and Dr. Paul Voroney, University of Guelph. Ms. Tracey Ehl, MCIP, and Ms. Fredelle Brief of Ehl Harrison Consulting Inc., chaired the deliberations of the panel.
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Stefanovic, I.L. (2015). Ethics, Sustainability, and Water Management: A Canadian Case Study. In: Leal Filho, W., Sümer, V. (eds) Sustainable Water Use and Management. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12394-3_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12394-3_1
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