A new research centre at the University of Alberta (U of A) has announced a $1.4 million contribution from founding member EPCOR as it aims to keep water and wastewater services safe, reliable and sustainable for future generations.
The Water Research Centre (WRC) is based within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering. U of A officials say the new centre will address global water challenges by building on leading expertise across the university and collaborating with industry partners on issues related to water supply and demand, treatment and reuse, and infrastructure.
The risk of extreme weather events threatening global water supplies, sanitation and infrastructure accelerates the need to improve wastewater treatment practices and focus on environmental issues around safe water supplies, U of A announced in a statement. But the depth of work at WRC aims to extend beyond engineering and science to water security, sociology, rural economy and Indigenous initiatives.
“There is a long history of collaborations between the University of Alberta and EPCOR that have led to many successful stories around water and wastewater treatment, along with infrastructure and water quality protection,” says Mohamed Gamal El-Din, director of the Water Research Centre in a statement. “We are very enthusiastic to carry that work into the future.”
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EPCOR will provide in-kind support in the form of water and wastewater samples, as well as access to infrastructure for certain projects and hands-on training or work opportunities for students and researchers involved in the WRC.
EPCOR President and CEO John Elford said in a statement that the WRC will endeavour to be an essential resource.
“The Water Research Centre will be a catalyst, bringing together experts from education, industry and government to address critical water-related problems and explore opportunities,” said Elford.
Specific projects within the WRC have not yet been announced, however they will build on water research already underway at the university.
