Four water treatment plant upgrades funded across Canada
Water treatment plant upgrades have received funding for projects in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories.
The biggest ticket item among them includes $5.9...
Historic $8B class-action settlement in works over First Nations water crisis
The federal government has reached a proposed settlement agreement worth nearly $8 billion over class action lawsuits that demand change and compensation after generations...
Latest BC shoreline cleanup nets 425 tonnes of waste
Several Clean Coast, Clean Waters projects in British Columbia recently netted 425 tonnes of shoreline waste during summer cleanups.
Items collected under the CleanBC Plastics...
Quebec team studies new class of electrodes to degrade PFAS in water
A new research project team in Quebec hopes to create innovative solutions to decontaminate waters containing harmful chemical compounds like perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances...
A growing Calgary commissions new water pumping station
The City of Calgary has recently embarked on a $35 million project to replace the most critical water pump station in the city.
The unexplored toxic effects of COVID-19 disinfectants on water and wastewater
The increased use of disinfectants, including chlorine-based disinfectants, during the COVID-19 pandemic is concerning for several reasons.
Scientists measure new depths at bottom of hydrologic cycle
For the first time, researchers have mapped groundwater circulation five kilometres deep. This could help make it safer to store contaminants underground.
Different ways to transfer essential data to water and wastewater treatment facilities
Transferring data in the water and wastewater industry is essential and vital to facility operation, with critical decisions made based on simple data.
Pipe restraint resilience plays an essential role in safe water system operations
It is worth examining what criteria should be followed for restraining pipe connections and which techniques to use within particular water systems.
Red Deer’s new water treatment residuals facility earns sustainable infrastructure award
The City of Red Deer’s residuals management facility, currently under construction for its water treatment plant, has earned Envision Bronze verification for leadership in...
Fluoride debate returns to Regina through water treatment plant upgrades
*Update – October 25, 2021: Regina and Calgary have both decided to add fluoride to their water treatment processes. Regina will add fluoride to...
New water treatment plants end drinking water advisories for First Nations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba
The construction of new water treatment plants in two First Nations communities means that Indigenous Services Canada has lifted two more long-term drinking water...
Southern Nevada region bans ‘useless’ grass in bid to conserve Colorado River supply
The Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada will become the first region in the U.S. to ban “non-functional” or “ornamental” grass that can often...
New water tower set to boost pressure, allow growth for Nova Scotia communities
A new $2.9-million gravity-fed water storage tank is set for Nova Scotia’s Osprey Village in Lunenburg County, thanks to new provincial funding.
The Municipality of...
Leaky pipes hurting pocketbooks and sustainability in Ontario cities
A new study suggests that cities such as Toronto could be wasting as much as 103 million litres of treated drinking water daily due...
Ocean groups send ‘Message in a Bottle’ to G7 leaders, advance marine plastic research
On World Ocean Day, June 8, a collaboration of scientific institutions and ocean groups from around the world launched scientific monitoring devices into the...
Water shortages return to Quebec town as conservation pleas sound across Canada
Water supply issues continue to plague the small Quebec municipality of Saint-Antoine-de-Lilly, where reserves have run empty and residents face critical restrictions for water...
Saskatchewan’s Uranium City seeks funding to end 20-year water advisory
Saskatchewan is trying to secure $1.7 million in federal funds to end drinking water issues that have plagued the former mining hamlet of Uranium...
Communities in central N.L. funded for major water, wastewater projects
A series of critical water infrastructure upgrades have been announced for central Newfoundland, including a new ultraviolet disinfection building for Grand-Falls Windsor.
In all, 12...
Halifax Water aims to improve cybersecurity after report raises concern
Halifax Water is working to strengthen its cybersecurity after a consultant report found “significant elevated risk” in the areas of disaster recovery planning and...
Seabins making strides in removing microplastics from Lake Ontario
A pilot project and collaboration between PortsToronto and the University of Toronto (U of T) collected about 85,000 small pieces of anthropogenic debris from...
Canada funds seven microplastic research projects at universities
Canada is investing $7 million over seven projects that it hopes will take marine plastic pollution research to new levels at universities in three...
Treatment options for PFAS contaminated groundwater
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemical compounds that have been used in the manufacturing of a wide variety of consumer products since the 1940s. Due to growing public awareness and an evolving political climate, widespread changes to government regulations and enforcement are imminent.
Strategies to increase existing reverse osmosis unit output
A facility may need to meet an increased reverse osmosis demand from a unit that is already at capacity, with no impact on quality.
Edmonton engineering firm piloting a novel machine learning water treatment process
This pilot project, believed to be the first of its kind, marks the beginning of exploring artificial intelligence and machine learning in everyday infrastructure applications, including water treatment.
Monitoring small watersheds is vital to community safety and water sustainability
By understanding local watersheds, communities are able to plan for a safer and more sustainable future as the effects of climate disruptions increase.
Determining when it is time to replace reverse osmosis membranes
Knowing why reverse osmosis (RO) performance has declined and which membrane elements are compromised will reduce the number of membrane elements that need to be replaced. It will also make it possible to modify RO pre-treatment, or possibly cleaning frequency.
Advantages of using peristaltic dosing pumps for fluids with particulates or chemicals that off-gas
Peristaltic pumps are capable of pumping both fluids with particulates and those that off-gas, without loss of prime or vapour lock.
Saskatchewan city completes third phase of drinking water upgrade
Saskatchewan residents in the City of Estevan can expect “noticeably improved, less hard” drinking water, municipal officials explained, as they unveiled the third and final phase of the community’s drinking water system upgrade project.
Norfolk County commissions condition assessments on its transmission network
Norfolk County in Ontario recently encountered a main break on its 300-mm ductile iron transmission watermain. Learn about the project, the ePulse technology used to assess watermain conditions, and the solutions provided that led to a 10-year capital plan to replace pipes and other sections with poor condition.
Scraper strainers resist clogging and fouling when faced with micron-sized particles
By Del Williams
Strainers are required to remove organic debris and waste from cooling water before it goes into heat exchangers and cooling systems, and...
Walkerton Clean Water Centre launches new drinking water operator ethics course
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) announced the launch of its first on-demand course titled, "Ethics for Drinking Water Operators", on May 31.
Ontario’s drinking water operators...
Denmark exhumes culled COVID mink due to groundwater contamination fear
After the Danish government culled and buried some four million farmed mink in late 2020 due to a COVID-19 mutation, officials have begun to...
Manitoba finds 34% of private wells exceed manganese health limit
A new advisory from the Manitoba government is cautioning the public about elevated levels of manganese in nearly a third of the province’s private...
Canada lifts, adds long-term drinking water advisory for Ontario First Nations
Ontario’s Wahta Mohawks, with support from Indigenous Services Canada, has lifted the long-term drinking water advisory in place since September of 2013 for the...
NWT faces tough spring as ice breakup leads to flooding, evacuations
A number of communities in the Northwest Territories have been under a state of emergency in recent weeks, leading to evacuations for some residents...
BC launches Algae Watch website for citizens to track blooms
It was a rare occurrence in summer 2020 when British Columbia's Shuswap Lake was covered in algal blooms. Now, the province has launched an...
B.C.’s Burns Lake flushing out manganese with new water treatment plant
The British Columbia Village of Burns Lake has a new $5.3-million water treatment plant that will begin to gradually flush out elevated levels of...
Ontario’s Collingwood halts construction as it discovers water demand outpacing capacity
As the Ontario Town of Collingwood pauses local construction for a year to assess its dwindling drinking water and wastewater treatment capacity, local officials...
WWTP biosolids upgrade tops list of major infrastructure funding for Saskatoon
Residents of Saskatoon will soon benefit from $102 million in joint funding for 11 green infrastructure projects, including upgrades to drinking water and wastewater...
RCCAO says Ontario needs dedicated water infrastructure fund
Ontario needs a new dedicated fund to help municipalities “fix their leaky pipes and crumbling sewers”, states a call to action from the Residential...
Saskatchewan First Nation fined for wastewater discharge into lake
The Black Lake Denesuline First Nation of Saskatchewan faces a $10,000 fine after federal officials discovered some 86,000 litres of wastewater had been released...
Great Lakes Region aims to create circular economy to fight plastic pollution
Plastic contamination of water will be the first priority area for a new initiative called Circular Great Lakes.
Circular, as in circular economy, the Council...
Optimizing Kelowna’s water system improves coverage and multi-use
In 2017, the City of Kelowna, British Columbia began the process of separating agricultural and domestic water systems as part of its integrated water supply plan. It calls for an integrated water system that provides the lowest cost, city-wide solution for drinking water, that also maintains agricultural interests.
Accelerating digital transformation in the water industry to improve efficiency
Tech-savvy water utility managers understand that centralizing operational data into one unified system can help achieve both goals, while boosting efficiency and improving long-term asset performance.
Digital twins equip utilities to proactively manage and improve water systems
Digital technologies are advancing the development of sustainable water systems. One of the most leading-edge digital solutions today is the use of digital twinning for water systems.
Advanced biological filtration provides multi-barrier approach to complex contaminant removal
Traditional treatment plants were not designed to remove modern organic and synthetic contaminants. Recognizing this, many municipalities are searching for new ways to effectively meet the challenge.
B.C. ends last First Nations long-term water advisory
British Columbia has reached the milestone of clearing every long-term water advisory in its First Nation communities, now that Semiahmoo First Nation has been...
Teck Coal fined record $60M for B.C. river contamination
In the highest fine ever imposed by a court for pollution in violation of the Fisheries Act, Teck Coal Limited has been ordered to...
DFO funds projects to analyze contaminant damage to ecosystems
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has announced nearly $2.9 million to support nine research projects that will analyze the effects of contaminants like microplastics, oil,...
Nearly $90M in funding could jumpstart water work for 37 Ontario First Nations
Canada is investing $69.5 million for clean drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure improvements in 37 First Nation communities across Ontario.
The new funding will...
USask water security exchange program aims to improve life for West African women
A research team from the University of Saskatchewan has secured funding for a new water security and scholar exchange project that endeavours to help...
Canada launches new website to track progress on First Nations water advisories
On the heels of a recent critical report from the federal auditor general, Indigenous Services Canada says a new website will help track progress...
Quebec’s Magpie River first in Canada to be granted personhood
Quebec is the first Canadian province to join a global movement – particularly active in New Zealand, the U.S. and Ecuador – that recognizes...
U of G researcher leads study to monitor UV impact on well water families
A University of Guelph researcher and an Ontario-based water tech company are partnering on a new study that will explore illness-causing microbes in residential...
UWindsor team to monitor harmful algal blooms in real time
University of Windsor researchers are using a $1 million grant to deploy real-time monitoring sensors into Lake Erie to understand more about harmful algal...
Nestlé sells portion of Canadian bottled water operations
Following the attempted sale of Nestlé’s Pure Life water business in Canada, the water giant has now made further efforts to distance itself from...
Auditor general ‘disheartened’ by failure to meet First Nations drinking water targets
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is drawing attention to a new federal auditor general report that warns how little has been done to...
Vernon forced to discharge wastewater to lake as irrigation use derailed
Starting this month, the Vernon Water Reclamation Centre (VWRC) will be forced to discharge reclaimed water through a deep outfall to British Columbia’s Okanagan...
Studying algal blooms, light penetration and oxygen levels in a phosphorus-rich lake
By Robert Bowen
Conditions within high total phosphorus lakes vary significantly over the course of a year as available nutrients allow for the ramping up...
Coordinated response helped quickly restore Fort McMurray’s drinking water
The water system recovery plan was based on similar work following the wildfire in 2016. This latest river flooding caused contaminated water to enter...
Hamilton conducts dead-end watermain flushing program using post hydrants
There are a few ways to ensure water quality is maintained through the system, once it leaves the treatment plant. The primary one is that the water continues to flow through the system without the opportunity to sit stagnant. Dead-end watermains are the enemy in this scenario and unavoidable in old distribution systems.
Looking at key practices for control valve operation
Since it is installed after the pipe is in place, each control valve must be adapted to the specific application. With so many applications being unique to a utility, there are some best practices that every control valve operator should have in their toolbox before trying to tackle some of the more difficult concepts.
Hacker dangerously raises sodium hydroxide levels at Florida water plant
Digital forensics experts in Florida’s Pinellas County are investigating a software hack of the City of Oldsmar’s water treatment plant computer system.
On February 5,...
Alberta reinstates coal mining safeguards after critics warn of polluted rivers
The Alberta government has reversed a coal mining policy decision that critics say eased certain environmental safeguards and threatened contamination of Saskatchewan rivers, in...
Yukon releases quartz mining guidelines to protect water
Yukon’s quartz mining proponents must now submit an adaptive management plan, outlining how they will manage water at hard rock exploration sites.
Officials say the...
Saskatoon launches new water training program for First Nations
Kanātan nipīy, meaning the water is clean, is the name of a new water training program in Saskatoon that aims to foster First Nations...
Colorado professor wins water award for UV research legacy
The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) has awarded its annual Clarke Prize for Excellence in Water Research to University of Colorado Boulder Civil Engineering...
Thames Water UK launches massive hiring drive, triples apprenticeships
Britain’s largest water and wastewater utility said it hopes to hire 1,000 new workers this year, Thames Water UK announced late last month.
The water...
Charges laid against nine Michigan officials in Flint water crisis
The former Governor of Michigan, as well as city staff that includes the former director of public works, are now facing a series of...
Climbing GHGs may stop many lakes from freezing, say York researchers
New research by Ontario’s York University suggests that if the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions aren’t drastically reduced, 179 lakes could permanently lose ice cover...
Citizen science may educate public on pharmaceutical water pollution, report suggests
A new report examining pharmaceuticals found in the Great Lakes considers how citizen science initiatives could be developed to educate as well as fill...
Thunder Bay makes lead service pipe replacement loans a reality
The northern Ontario City of Thunder Bay has approved a $1.3-million community loan program to help residents replace lead service pipes on private property.
The...
AWWA ‘enthusiastic’ over historic revisions to U.S. Lead and Copper Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the first major update to its underachieving Lead and Copper Rule in nearly 30 years.
The EPA...
Canada Water Agency consultations begin as discussion paper released
Canada has opened online consultations towards establishing the new Canada Water Agency, a venture to improve and centralize the country’s freshwater management under the...
U.S. water sector highlights critical role as vaccine rollout planning begins
Calling the water sector a “lifeline sector” that “underpins all aspects of society,” officials with the U.S.-based Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC) say they...
Montana alters selenium limits to protect lake from B.C. mining pollution
The U.S. state of Montana has passed stricter requirements on selenium levels in Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River in an attempt to guard...
Water infrastructure upgrades slated for Quebec, Ontario communities
Significant water infrastructure projects in Quebec and Ontario received funding the week of December 7 from the federal government as investments in the protection...
Ottawa museum obtains billion-year-old water sample from U of T geochemist
In 2009, University of Toronto geochemist Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar and her team collected what was later proven to be the oldest-known flowing water...
Canada will miss 2021 deadline to end all First Nations water advisories
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller held a press conference on December 2 to confirm that Canada will miss its March 2021 deadline to lift...
Unidirectional distribution system flushing program improves White Rock’s water quality
Watermain flushing in White Rock, B.C. has been conducted regularly for corrosion control, sediment removal, taste and odour control, maintaining low turbidity, maintaining disinfectant residual, and the prevention of bacterial growth.
Helping the water sector chart a path through the rough waters of public relations
Three municipal experts in navigating the minefield of public opinion on difficult water issues such as lead and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances swapped success stories during a recent virtual summit organized by the American Water Works Association.
Evacuated Neskantaga First Nation still waiting for action on water crisis
The website of the Neskantaga First Nation is now filled with video testimonies from some of its nearly 300 residents, to shine light on...
The important role of high capacity water filters in eDNA sampling of surface water
Once the sampling site locations and protocols have been established, the next practical matter is sampling protocol. There is a compelling case to do filtration in the field as opposed to the logistical challenge of transporting samples to a laboratory setting.
Global Water Institute earns grant to detect, remove microplastics from wastewater
Ottawa’s Global Water Institute has received a $230,000, 18-month grant for research to develop solutions for the detection and removal of microplastics and microfibres...
York Region to build new facility to protect Lake Simcoe from phosphorus
Two new major investments through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund in Ontario’s York Region will focus on protection of the water supply, treatment,...
Filtration milestone for NWT water treatment plants coincides with call for new facility
After decades of simple truck-fill water stations with chlorine disinfection, communities in the Northwest Territories (NWT) have reached the milestone achievement of having filtration...
Alberta set for interbasin transfer as communities added to regional waterline
A new bill introduced in the Alberta Legislature proposes to construct one of the province’s longest regional waterline connections, to end drinking water quality...
Growing anger over pinhole leaks in Thunder Bay, pipes problem also seen in U.S.
For municipal officials in Thunder Bay who may have browsed water news over the summer, accounts of pinhole leaks in the copper pipes of...
B.C. district switches out lake drinking water source over rise in algal blooms
Flooding and unusual weather patterns likely played a role in the unusually high amount of algae within Kalamalka Lake this year, states B.C.’s Regional...
Fredericton weighs optics, impact around water shut-offs during pandemic
One thousand residents in the City of Fredericton are at risk of having their water shut off by city officials, after they fell behind...
Ontario’s Neskantaga community evacuates over water reservoir contamination
Under a 25-year boil-water advisory — Canada’s longest — northwestern Ontario’s Neskantaga First Nation says it has now evacuated the majority of its residents...
WWF report warns of data gaps in 60% of Canada’s sub-watersheds
A new report from World Wildlife Fund Canada warns that missing monitoring data from 100 of the country’s 176 sub-watersheds may be obscuring threats.
That...
US EPA launches initiative, grants to build future water workforce
The U.S. has released a new plan to recruit and retain the next generation of its water workforce through planning, training and collaboration across...
Newfoundland town fined $50K for chlorine leaks into local river
The Newfoundland and Labrador Town of Baie Verte has been ordered to pay a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to discharges of highly-chlorinated water...
Manitoba audit finds many water systems do not have properly certified operator
A Manitoba audit has found that 20% of known water systems in the province do not have an operating licence and nearly half do...
Halton becomes first Canadian municipality to win AWWA drinking water quality award
A commitment to improvement at water purification plants in Burlington, Burloak and Oakville has led to Halton Region, Ontario, being selected as the first...
Using ROVs to inspect water storage tanks offers many benefits
Benefits of using an ROV for water tank inspections go beyond their technical basics.
Managing invasive aquatic species starts with good data
Managing hydrilla through delineation with the right mix of traditional and leading-edge technology.
Hamilton reduces non-revenue water loss with a proactive leak detection program
Due to success of the pilot, the city will be putting out a request for technology to establish a long-term proactive leak detection program to ensure that all water distribution systems are assessed annually.
Latest Articles
Durham cancels new anaerobic digestion plant over soaring supply chain costs
As supply chain costs continue to balloon, Durham Region officials have pulled the plug on the procurement process to build a $200-million mixed waste...
