The Net Zero Water project continues to advance practical resources, sector knowledge, and peer-learning opportunities to support more resilient, lower-carbon water and wastewater services.

The Net Zero Water Roadmap is currently under development. It will be informed by the National Water and Wastewater Greenhouse Gas Reduction Survey, which remains open to municipalities and utilities across Canada. Preparations are also underway for the return of the Communities of Practice in October. Meanwhile, all planned learning tours have been completed; these gave participants firsthand insight into approaches being implemented across the sector.

Interactive roadmap will help turn knowledge into action

A key focus is developing the Net Zero Water Roadmap, an interactive resource designed to help municipalities and utilities identify practical pathways to more resilient water and wastewater services.

The roadmap will bring together mitigation approaches, lessons learned, and practical examples that users can explore based on their organization’s priorities and progress. By making this information easier to navigate and apply, the roadmap will help utilities identify relevant opportunities and learn from approaches being implemented elsewhere.

Case studies will be a key feature of the roadmap, demonstrating how municipalities and utilities are putting resilience and emissions-reduction strategies into practice. Examples could include implementing new technologies, improving operational efficiency, increasing water reuse, or developing innovative partnerships.

Municipalities and utilities can help shape this resource. The project team welcomes organizations interested in sharing projects, experiences and lessons that could benefit peers facing similar challenges.

If your utility would like to discuss a case study opportunity, please contact Dana Mears, project manager of urban water decarbonization, at [email protected].

GHG survey remains open

The National Water and Wastewater Greenhouse Gas Reduction Survey is an important part of the Net Zero Water project. The survey will help build a clearer picture of greenhouse gas reduction efforts across the water sector, inform development of the roadmap, and support utilities in benchmarking their efforts.

As municipalities and utilities work to align water and wastewater operations with broader climate objectives, better information from the sector can help identify opportunities for improvement and inform future planning and investment.

The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete. We may use utility-specific information to highlight resilience efforts. Participants’ personal information will remain confidential.

Broad participation from municipalities and utilities across Canada is essential to creating meaningful and representative results. If your organization has not yet participated, completing the survey is a quick way to ensure your experience is represented and to strengthen the evidence available for future research, planning and action.

Complete the survey.

Communities of Practice return in October

The Net Zero Water Communities of Practice return in October, providing another opportunity for municipal and utility professionals to connect with peers and experts on emerging decarbonization challenges and solutions. Planning for the upcoming program is nearing completion, with select topics still being finalized.

The Communities of Practice bring together expertise from different sectors and regions, creating a forum for participants to exchange experiences, explore practical approaches and discuss emerging opportunities for decarbonization.

Upcoming sessions will build on lessons and practices identified throughout the project, while giving participants an opportunity to consider how to apply those insights within their own organizations.

If you haven’t participated yet, it’s not too late. Visit our website to view the schedule and find an upcoming session relevant to your organization’s priorities.

Learning tours bring real-world solutions into focus

Another important project milestone is the completion of all planned learning tours, hosted with support from the Region of Durham, Region of York, Region of Waterloo, and Metro Vancouver. Participants from across Canada had the opportunity to see projects and practices firsthand and learn directly from the teams implementing them.

The tours highlighted approaches to nitrous oxide measurement, energy efficiency, biogas use, and wastewater energy transfer. Participants engaged with project teams, explored technologies and operational practices, and gained practical knowledge that can inform initiatives within their own organizations and communities.

Feedback from participants reinforced the value of seeing solutions in practice, as well as the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing across the sector. By sharing implementation experiences and lessons learned, municipalities and utilities can build on one another’s progress and identify approaches applicable to their own systems.