The District of Elkford has received an award from the Union of BC Municipalities for its innovation and leadership in building a sustainable community. There were 59 submissions considered for eight awards in the three categories of best practices, leadership and innovation, and partnerships. The District submitted information on the following items to demonstrate its efforts to minimize its impact on the environment.

1. Strategic plan - includes the objective of providing opportunities for
responsible growth, in harmony with industry and the environment, and to
be a sustainable community.

2. Rebranding initiative- although not tied to environmental sustainability,
this demonstrated our commitment to nurturing our connection to nature and
the wild.

3. Biodiesel use - 16 District vehicles converted to biodiesel.

4. No-Idling policy - no idling of district vehicles if vehicle sitting for more than
10 seconds.

5. Automated waste collection - reduction of hours of operation on equipment,
more efficient use of staff, and fewer staff injuries.

6. Solar powered water circulators – the use of these in our sewage lagoons
reduced reliance on electricity or chemicals to aerate the lagoons.

7. Energy study - conducted an audit of the District's energy use to identify
areas to reduce energy consumption and to determine reduction targets.

8. Lighting initiatives - low voltage high-pressure sodium lights installed
throughout the District, old fluorescent fixtures replaced with T8 fixtures, and
all Christmas lights changed to LED for 2007.

9. Intelligent Parking Lot Controllers (IPLC) – these newly installed vehicle
plugs are activated by low temperatures and offer intermittent or full use depending on the degree of cold.

10. Water initiatives - leak detection survey conducted and identified water
leaks to be repaired with infrastructure maintenance program.

11. Water quality - award winner at the Berkeley Springs International Water
Competition.