Photo: Contributed

The District of Summerland was recognized for their work on a fulsome water and road assets plan at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) on Tuesday.

The annual convention gave recognition of the District’s Water and Road Integrated Asset Management Plan, which details the condition of all Summerland roads and water mains and their likelihood and consequence of failure.

This includes a priority list of 19 capital projects, three of which are included in this year’s budget: Dale Meadows Road, Jubilee Road West, and Victoria Road South.

Summerland was presented with a Community Excellence Award, which noted that the plan "incorporates strong asset management principles and that the public-facing webpage is innovative and provides transparency in decision-making."

The Community Excellence Awards distinguish and acknowledge UBCM member municipalities, regional districts and First Nations that have implemented projects or programs that exceed expectations in meeting the purposes of local government.

“The UBCM Community Excellence Award recognizes how Summerland is looking at infrastructure in a more unified way to avoid inefficiencies like repaving a road only to dig it up later to fix a burst pipe,” Mayor Doug Holmes said in a press release.

“We knew we needed to change the way we plan, design and manage infrastructure, and recognition of the District’s Water and Road Integrated Asset Management Plan shows we’re headed in the right direction.”

The full plan is posted on the District of Summerland website in the form of a storyboard and geodatabase. People can click on an interactive map and view information about any road’s condition, work being planned, and project costs. The plan will be updated as projects are completed, and eventually irrigation mains and sewer lines will be added.