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Core Research

The Canadian Water Network catalyzes and supports multidisciplinary research and related initiatives that address key challenges in water management across three programs — protecting Canada’s watersheds and ecosystems, protecting the health of Canadians, and ensuring that Canada has sustainable water infrastructure.

These four-year (2008–12) projects have been categorized by these research programs, but they are intentionally multidisciplinary and, hence, multi-thematic studies.

Protecting Watersheds and Ecosystems

The watershed is the source of water for the people who live, work and play around its natural borders. However, demands from each of these users often conflict on how the watershed should be used and treated, making its protection and stewardship difficult to manage.

CWN’s Protecting Watersheds and Ecosystems Program focuses on developing watershed management practices that integrate land use with water quantity, quality, demand, supply and equity for both human and environmental use. CWN has built a network of experts who investigate the environmental and social aspects of watersheds when solving existing and emerging water issues.

This research program has two objectives.

Objective A — Increased adoption of risk-based cumulative effects frameworks that recognize changing land uses and water availability and help balance multiple water uses in watersheds across Canada

Objective B — Improved source water protection and water allocation in watersheds across Canada through the application of improved practices, technologies, monitoring and governance

Protecting Public Health

Safe, clean water is fundamental for human health. Yet events such as the tragedies in Walkerton, Ontario, North Battleford, Saskatchewan and in many First Nations communities demonstrate that Canadians are vulnerable to chemical and biological contaminants in source waters.

CWN’s Protecting Public Health Program is providing regulatory agencies with research-based information and effective management and technical tools to identify and reduce threats to drinking water supplies. Through multidisciplinary collaboration we are bringing together water practitioners, policy-makers and researchers who are actively pursuing innovative solutions to Canada’s public health problems.

This research program has two objectives.

Objective A — Reduced risks associated with waterborne pathogens and contaminants in communities across Canada, including small and remote communities, resulting in reduced health consequences and public expenditures

Objective B — Improved risk assessment models that balance risk, cost and societal benefits that incorporate both pathogens and chemical risks, supporting decision-making across Canada within a multi-barrier approach

Ensuring Sustainable Water Infrastructure

Canada’s underground water infrastructure is nearing the end of its functional life. As a result there are continual watermain breaks and leaks. Each leak is not only costly to repair but it also potentially exposes drinking water to contamination.

Updating Canada’s water infrastructure is essential to maintaining the sustainability of Canada’s water supplies. CWN’s Ensuring Sustainable Water Infrastructure Program is developing a clear research framework to make this happen. CWN is developing innovative technologies and management strategies to overcome both the financial and technical challenges to making our water infrastructure sustainable.

This research program has two broad objectives.

Objective A — Implementation of improved and expanded treatment technology and management options that enhance reliability and performance of water and wastewater systems, including those in small and remote communities

Objective B — Reduced costs to operate and maintain water infrastructure through innovative technologies and approaches that ensure balance among costs and risks to humans and the environment