TRACK 1, DAY 1
Navigating the CLI-ECA: Practical Steps for Developing Stormwater Operation and Maintenance Manuals
Samantha Paquette and Marjorie Prentice, GEI Consultants Canada
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | Hall A
ABSTRACT
Due to changes in how environmental approvals are issued for municipal stormwater management systems, conditions in the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval (CLI ECA) now require municipalities to prepare and implement operations and maintenance (O&M) manuals and monitoring plans for their system.
GEI has worked with over a dozen municipalities to develop their stormwater system O&M manuals to meet the conditions of the CLI ECA. This session features an overview of how to develop an O&M manual for municipalities and practitioners. We will also touch on our approach to developing stormwater management system monitoring plans.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Samantha Paquette, GEI Consultants Canada
Samantha Paquette is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 14 years of experience in infrastructure planning, asset management, and environmental compliance within the public and private sector. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Guelph, and maintains multiple professional designations including Certified Engineering Technologist (OACETT) and Certified Asset Management Professional (CAMP).
Samantha’s career includes leadership of several high-profile municipal programs. At the Region of Peel, as Program Manager, Asset Management, she developed and implemented the Transportation Asset Management Strategy (TAMS) for $3.2 billion in infrastructure assets and $540 million in reinvestment planning. She led the creation of the Stormwater Asset Management Plan and Operations Manual, integrating lifecycle cost analysis and regulatory compliance into capital planning.
Her experience includes managing a $2.6 million stormwater pond rehabilitation program, which earned the OPWA Project of the Year Award for Technical/Management Innovation. She has overseen condition assessment programs for storm sewers and green infrastructure, using GIS and data analytics to inform renewal strategies. As Chair of the Southern Ontario Municipal Stormwater Discussion Group from 2018 to 2025, she facilitated knowledge exchange among over 60 municipalities and 300 members in the water resources field.
Marjorie Prentice, GEI Consultants Canada
Marjorie Prentice is a professional engineer with over 20 years of experience within regional government and private consulting. She has worked extensively on analysis of sanitary and storm sewer system issues, mainly related to wet weather flow and long-range planning. Her background includes policy and by-law review and development, flow monitor and rain gauge data analysis, sewer modelling, the use of GIS to analyze and illustrate data, and lots of technical writing.