Welcome to the Winter 2025 edition of News Splash. It's been another productive quarter for Canadian Water Network (CWN) and our members, and I’m excited to share some updates.

Canada’s first National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA) was released at the end of November. Its main conclusions will sound familiar to anyone working in water, wastewater, or stormwater at the local level.

Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) CEO Nicola Crawhall sat down for an in-depth interview with Peter Weltman, vice chair of the Canadian Infrastructure Council.

Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) Water Leader Spotlight celebrates municipal water leaders from across the country by sharing their career journeys and perspectives on industry trends.

Across Canada, water utilities are facing mounting pressures — from aging infrastructure and climate uncertainty to affordability concerns and workforce changes. These challenges demand forward-thinking strategies that go beyond day-to-day operations.

Infrastructure systems and affordable services must be designed, delivered, and discussed within the context of a warming country and world. Achieving this requires multiple pathways: modernizing design standards, measuring emissions, and building on momentum — all strengthened by collaboration across divisions and departments.

This fall, the adaptive planning (AP) project team has been hard at work — hosting national workshops, refining priorities, and building resources to help utilities plan for an uncertain future.

Communities across Canada are embracing opportunities to build secure, resilient water systems that support growth and prosperity. Current fiscal pressures, economic shifts, and climate impacts are challenging the water sector to be even more efficient, innovative and collaborative. Blue Cities helps empower water leaders to build and operate sustainable water services to secure a thriving future.

In October 2025, Canadian Water Network (CWN) launched a new Strategic Sharing Group focused on biosolids management. This initiative creates a space for municipal leaders to navigate complex questions together.

For water leaders, the message in Budget 2025 is clear: the path to economic growth and housing affordability are built on a foundation of strong water infrastructure. The federal government has tabled a budget focused heavily on capital investment and productivity, as well as housing-enabling infrastructure.

The Government of Canada will invest $51 billion over 10 years through the new Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF), which will be administered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC).

The Canada Water Agency (CWA) is inviting candidates to submit applications for funding to support projects that help protect and restore freshwater ecosystems across Canada.

Health Canada develops the Guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality in partnership with the provinces, territories, and other federal departments.