Long-time Kelowna resident Lee Olinger cares about Kelowna’s water. Okanagan Lake’s sparkling surface was one of the reasons he decided to move to Kelowna 20 years ago (though he admits the weather played a pretty big role in his decision as well).

Lee doesn’t just talk-the-talk about taking care of Kelowna’s water; he walks the walk – and drives the heavy machinery. For the past 13 years Lee has been an equipment operator who digs ditches around Kelowna using a 130 excavator (within minutes of our conversation he was excitedly telling me all about the machine, noting, “It’s pretty cool; it has a Rotor Head that can spin 360!”).

Stormwater management is an undertaking all cities have to consider, and Kelowna is no different. “We get flooding in different parts of town every spring; it backs up onto the roads,” says Lee. “It doesn’t rain here very often but, when it does, it typically rains pretty hard. That’s tough on our system.”

That’s where Lee comes in. “Ditches help with drainage. They keep water away from roads and people’s property,” Lee notes. “If ditches aren’t properly maintained then water accumulates on the asphalt and starts to erode the sides of the road; ditches kind of act like bumpers in that way. They’re also great for flood control and water quality protection. Excess water ends up in the ditch where the sediment and pollutants are filtered out through the natural filtration system before the water is absorbed back into the ground.”