Consulting engineering firm CIMA+ is partnering with the University of Toronto’s Drinking Water Research Group to lead 18 months of research into the presence and behaviour of microplastics in drinking water distribution systems.
By advancing understanding of microplastic behaviour, sampling protocols and monitoring strategies, CIMA+ says the Ontario-based study intends to help water utilities around the world prepare for regulatory requirements while keeping drinking water safe.
“This project highlights both the depth of expertise within our water team and our collaborative spirit, as we work alongside multiple sectors and institutions,” announced Principal Investigator and Project Manager at CIMA+, Michael McKie, in a statement. “It’s an exciting opportunity to generate practical insights that will help utilities better understand and manage microplastics in drinking water systems,” McKie added.
The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is funding the project, one of the largest externally funded research initiatives ever led by CIMA+. It is also sponsored by the Eugene Water & Electric Board, Union Water and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
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In 2024, University of Toronto scientists developed a framework for measuring plastic pollution. To demonstrate the utility of the framework, the researchers built an emissions inventory of plastic pollution for the City of Toronto for the year 2020 drawn from publicly available data gathered through municipal litter audits and other sources. From a list of nine types of sources — including littering, tire dust from airplanes and on-road vehicles, washing machines, and paint from road markings and the exteriors of houses — they estimated between 3,531 and 3,852 tonnes of plastic pollution were emitted from within Toronto’s boundaries during the period.
Littering made up the largest share at 3,099 tonnes while artificial turf was responsible for the most emissions of microplastics — particles less than five millimetres in diameter — at 237 tonnes.
If Berendsen v Ontario on the second run to the S of C, had been encouraged not to sign the NDA, by Sir David and his environmental cohorts, by providing costs to cover any loss should the appeal fail and if the appeal won, in either instance, Sir David and his cohorts would have looked very good at working to save the world of water. In Ernst v Encana, the most wonderful S of C Justice Abella labelled Ernst a “Vexatious Litigant” with no support factum.