News

Canadians’ water conservation efforts declining: 2010 Canadian Water Attitudes Study

While Canadians say they care about water conservation, their actions and levels of understanding miss the mark

National Geographic publishes a single-topic issue on water

This single-topic issue of National Geographic magazine highlights the challenges facing our most essential natural resource. "Water: Our Thirsty World" is available for free download starting on World Water Day, March 22, and extending through April 9, 2010.

WI goes live

The Water Institute (WI) at the University of Waterloo is an interdisciplinary hub that facilitates innovative research, education and training. The Institute's activities focus on the sustainable use and management of water resources to support healthy and prosperous communities and ecosystems at the national and international scale.

CWN funds four innovative technology projects

These two-year innovative technology projects, funded from 2010-2012, are finding better ways to produce safer drinking water and wastewater.

CWN funds two Municipal Water Management Research Consortium Projects

The Canadian Municipal Water Management Research Consortium (CMWMRC) is a national network of water researchers, managers and regulators. The CMWMRC connects leading researchers with individuals across Canada who manage and regulate municipal water systems to ensure managers are provided with innovative, research-based options to address their key management challenges.  

Canada as global leader in water stewardship, research and innovation

The Canadian Water Network has prepared a set of six priorities to promote a national vision in the management and protection of our freshwater resources.

Water Security: A Primer

This publication, written by Dr. Emma Norman — with Dr. Karen Bakker, Christina Cook, Gemma Dunn and Dr. Diana Allen — is part of a larger four-year CWN-funded project on water security in Canada, led by Dr. Bakker.

Arsenic from Campbell River mine raises concerns

CWN-funded water research benefits Canadians

2011 Industrial Research and Development Internship Competition

Canadian businesses need to increase S&T investments and hire more talented science and technology graduates to successfully compete in the global economy through the application of new technologies and innovative solutions.

Ontario Government lauches Open Ontario Plan

The Ontario government announced plans to introduce a new Water Opportunities Act, designed to take advantage of the province's expertise in clean-water technology.

Living Water Policy Project

The Living Water Policy Project is an evolving library of Canadian water policy information. The site allows you to review summaries of up-to-date water policy documents for each province, compare water policies in different provinces with a unique comparison tool, and subscribe to receive updates as water policy changes across Canada.

The Living Water Policy Project is a growing community that revolves around three primary objectives:

• Consolidate information on provincial, territorial and federal water policy relating to water quantity and quality

• Improve the access to knowledge around Canadian water policy activities

• Improve our collective ability to participate in the public policy dialogue on water

Worth every penny: A primer on conservation-oriented water pricing

Worth every penny: A primer on conservation-oriented water pricing provides an overview of conservation-oriented water pricing for decision makers, water utilities and service providers in Canada. It explains how water pricing works, what the benefits are, and how water utilities can implement conservation-oriented water pricing structures as a key tool in the water manager's toolkit. As well, it offers advice on how to address implementation challenges, including how to avoid penalizing low-income families and how to maintain revenue stability for water utilities.

The story of bottled water

The Story of Bottled Water tells a story about manufactured demand, specifically how you get people to buy millions of bottles of water every week when they can get it almost free from the tap.

BlueW: Tap water promotion project

BlueW is a national charitable not-for-profit program dedicated to promoting municipal tap water as a healthy and waste-conscious alternative to purchasing drinks in disposable containers. Use BlueW's website and smart phone application to generate online maps showing where to find clean, free sources to refill your reusable bottle without feeling compelled to make any additional purchases.

Greenhouse gas and energy co-benefits of water conservation

Meeting Ontario's commitment to slow the progression of climate change will take more than changing light bulbs. It will require all sectors to look for opportunities to reduce waste and increase efficiency. This study, the first of its kind in Canada, suggests a significant untapped opportunity exists for water conservation to reduce energy, save municipal dollars and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

Walkerton 10 years later

Ten years ago today, the worst-ever outbreak of E. coli contamination in Canada occurred in Walkerton, Ontario, a rural community of 5,000 in Bruce County. The tragedy occurred after a five-day rainstorm had washed cow manure into a cracked well, contaminating the town's water supply with bacteria that led to as many as 2,500 illnesses and seven deaths.

Bill 72: Proposed Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act

On May 18, 2010, Bill 72, the proposed Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act was introduced and received first reading. If passed by the Legislature, the Act would establish a framework to drive innovation, create economic opportunities, sustain water infrastructure and conserve Ontario's water. It would lay the foundation for new Ontario jobs and make our province a North American leader in the development and sale of new technologies and services for water conservation and treatment.

Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program awards two positions in water research

In 2008, the federal government announced a new program with the goal to create prestigious research chairs known as Canada Excellence Research Chairs or CERCs in universities across Canada. After an extensive global selection process 19 chairs have been awarded, of which two are in water research.

Water is our future — Expert panel discussion at OCE Discovery 10

On May 17 and 18, 2010, the Ontario Centres of Excellence held its Discovery 2010 Convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

A fascinating discussion with experts on innovation in the water industry, titled Water is our future, was moderated by Rick Findlay, Vice-Chair of CWN's Board of Directors.

CREATE-ing STEWARD-ship opportunities in water research

Dr. Graham Gagnon, a CWN-funded researcher and the Canada Research Chair in Water Quality and Treatment in the Department of Civil Engineering at Dalhousie University, has received CREATE (Collaborative Research and Training Excellence) funding through NSERC to improve training opportunities for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

The Systems Training and Education in Water Assets Research and Development (STEWARD) program, led by Dr. Gagnon, will train tomorrow’s water researchers at both Dalhousie and Queens University to address water infrastructure and distribution problems, as well as the delivery of safe water in Canada.

Changing currents: water sustainability and the future of Canada's natural resource sectors

Canada's seeming abundance of water has masked a looming scarcity challenge.

Although Canada is blessed with a wealth of freshwater, it is not immune to water scarcity and overuse. Water use by major natural resource sectors, along with increasing consumption from a growing population and pressures from climate change, puts considerable strain on our water supply and the health of ecosystems.

ERAPharm Project—Special issue in Integrated Environment Assessment and Management

Many pharmaceuticals have been detected in the environment, raising concerns about the potential environmental impact of these biologically active substances. During the past few years, understanding of the fate and effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment has progressed considerably. However, doubts remain about the assessment of potential exposure and the effects pharmaceuticals have on organisms in the environment.

Exploring the Grand River Watershed

A short video documenting Waterlution's Future of Water Workshop along the banks of the Grand River in Ontario.

Ontario Research Fund Research Excellence — Water Round

The Ontario Research Fund Research Excellence (ORF-RE) Water Round promotes research excellence of strategic value to Ontario by supporting new leading-edge, transformative, and internationally significant research in water and wastewater-related technologies.

Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2011: Call for Nominations

The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is an international award that recognises outstanding contributions towards solving global water problems. This can be done through applying groundbreaking technologies or implementing innovative policies and programmes which benefit humanity.

The Prize is named after Singapore's first Prime Minister and present Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who through his foresight and leadership, has enabled Singapore to attain a sustainable supply of water.

UN General Assembly declares access to clean water and sanitation a human right

Access to clean water and sanitation was declared a human right on July 28, 2010, after a vote aimed at helping the world's neediest, passed unanimously at the United Nations.

Adaptation H2O: IDRC’s Graduate Research Awards on Climate Change and Water: Call for proposals 2010−2011

Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supports research in developing countries to promote growth and development. The result is innovative, lasting local solutions that aim to bring choice and change to those who need it most. IDRC’s Climate Change and Water Program (CCW) helps developing country researchers to understand the consequences of climate change on water resources and to find ways to improve the ability of citizens and governments to adapt to the changing environment.

The purpose of CCW’s Adaptation H2O Graduate Research Awards is to build the research capacity in developing countries by providing awards to graduate students working on subjects related to climate change and water.

Measuring Sustainability: Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators

Through the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) initiative, the federal government reports on environmental indicators that track the long-term trends for issues of key concern to Canadians — air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, water levels and protected areas.

New Executive Director at CWWA — Jennifer Jackson

The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association has announced that Jennifer Jackson has been appointed the association's Executive Director, effective August 3, 2010. Ms Jackson brings to the position a background in biological sciences and law and extensive experience in various environmental and municipal governance capacities.

Her experience includes 12 years with the City of Ottawa, where she provided direction on the Municipal Act, practised environmental law, worked on waste management policy and funding, was the appointee by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to the Blue Box and Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste Committees of Waste Diversion Ontario, and most recently worked as a policy analyst for the Environmental Stewardship Branch of Environment Canada.

SDTC Announces Latest Funding Round for Clean Technology

If your company has an innovative clean technology, then Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) wants to hear from you. SDTC invests in a range of innovative solutions across all industries that address climate change, clean air, water and soil.

Funding Opportunity from Ag Canada — AAFC Innovative Approaches

Agriculture and Agrifood Canada has just announced $15.5 million of funding for projects to be completed by March 2013 under its Innovative Approaches (IA) Program in support of the Growing Forward Initiative.

2011 AWWA Symposium Showcase

The American Water Works Association will be running three symposia, which will be held concurrently in Orlando, Florida next March. Deadline to submit abstracts for consideration is Thursday, September 16, 2010.