As technology rapidly advances, monitoring health indicators and contaminants in wastewater has become more precise. But how can this information be harnessed to protect public health? Canadian Water Network (CWN) and the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) are leading a national program that supports the effective use of wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) to inform public health decisions. In [...]

In Canada, we're fortunate to have municipal water leaders from diverse backgrounds serving communities across the country. Canadian Water Network (CWN) is launching an initiative to spotlight these leaders. Our goal is to celebrate and elevate their contributions by creating profiles that highlight their career paths, aspirations and perspectives on industry trends. For our first water leader spotlight, meet [...]

As we bid farewell to the inaugural year of Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) and National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases’ (NCCID) Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS) peer learning program, we eagerly step into a new phase with fresh participants and renewed vigour. The WBS Strategic Sharing Group (SSG) and the newly created Provincial Forum boast a collective of 42 dedicated public [...]

We’re bringing you an insider’s perspective on the latest updates from Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) Canadian Municipal Water Consortium. The national network is made up of utility leaders who share a common goal of advancing municipal water management. Introducing CWN’s Strategic Advisory Committee Earlier this year, CWN established its inaugural 2024/25 strategic advisory committee. This committee, comprised of five [...]

Our water and climate program area is working to make our communities stronger and better able to deal with the impacts of climate change. Impacts of climate change on water availability To help do this, we’re undertaking a two-year project with ClimateWest and Prairie the Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC) to understand the impact of climate change on water availability [...]

As the federal lead for freshwater science, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Science and Technology Branch is leading the development of a National Freshwater Science Agenda. It is an inclusive and coordinated roadmap that identifies the most pressing freshwater challenges across Canada. Over the next ten years, the National Freshwater Science Agenda will drive a coordinated science focus [...]

Bill C-59, which included the Canada Water Agency Act, received Royal Assent on June 20, 2024. The next steps for the Canada Water Agency (CWA) to officially commence its operations as an independent entity include the issuance of several orders-in-council: An order specifying the coming-into-force date of the new law. An order designating Winnipeg as the CWA’s headquarters. An order [...]

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are human-made substances that persist in the environment and have been dubbed ‘forever chemicals.’ People can be exposed to PFAS through many routes, one of which is potentially drinking water. During wastewater treatment, PFAS can accumulate in the treated effluent from sources within the urban sewer collection system and discharged into the environment. Currently, regulatory [...]

Microplastics are ubiquitous in our lives and in the environment. Canada is currently  negotiating an international agreement on plastics pollution, and has joined other countries in banning some single use plastics. Despite the enormity of the problem, understanding how microplastics circulate in the environment and in our bodies is in its early stages. CWN’s CEO, Nicola Crawhall, sat down [...]

Welcome to the Summer 2024 edition of News Splash. For those of us in the water sector, all eyes have been on the City of Calgary since June 5th. Main breaks are not uncommon, but a break in a feedermain from the treatment plant is particularly critical. There will be much to learn by all of us from the [...]

On June 5, the data strategic sharing group convened for its third meeting. Aravin Amirthalingam from the City of Calgary outlined his team's approach to digital transformation. The utility has made significant strides in creating a system for continuous improvement. However, Aravin highlighted that digital projects frequently fail due to a misalignment between strategy and project execution. To address [...]

High inflation, supply chain disruptions and increased interest rates are contributing to the rising costs of delivering water services. Our aging water infrastructure, coupled with ongoing growth and development, necessitates significant investment in infrastructure upgrades. Despite water being relatively underpriced, it remains a costly necessity, especially for low-income, senior and disabled Canadians. Water utilities face the tremendous challenge of [...]

We’re on a mission to better tailor the content we share through Canadian Water Network’s communications channels (i.e., website, social media and e-newsletters). We invite you to complete a short survey to help us understand how you interact with these platforms. Rest assured, your responses will remain strictly confidential and will directly contribute to enhancing the quality and relevance [...]

We're excited to share that our Canadian Municipal Water Consortium has launched a Strategic Advisory Committee. The Canadian Municipal Water Consortium is a national network of leaders from 26 utilities who share a common goal of advancing municipal water management. The strategic advisory committee supports greater alignment between the consortium’s priorities and members’ needs. Members of the 2024/2025 inaugural committee include: [...]

We’re thrilled to announce that Carol Malesky, principal of financial services at Stantec, is joining us as a speaker during our upcoming webinar. The webinar will examine how Canadian utilities can advance equity and affordability through customer assistance programs and rate designs. Carol is a utility economist with over 25 years of experience assisting water, wastewater and stormwater utilities with [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) is thrilled to announce the addition of Giba Barrie as the engagement and knowledge mobilization specialist to our Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS) Program team. She joins WBS Program Manager Talia Glickman and our collaborators at the National Centre for Collaboration on Infectious Diseases (NCCID). “I am super passionate about knowledge mobilization,” says Giba. “I possess a [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) convened the 2024 Spring Consortium Leaders Group (CLG) meeting in Edmonton last week from May 2-3. This gathering, which occurs twice a year, provides senior leaders in the water sector with a platform to exchange insights about pressing challenges water utilities face across the country. The Spring meeting, co-hosted by EPCOR and ARROW Utilities, brought together over 30 municipal leaders [...]

Metro Vancouver has joined the Smart Water Networks Forum’s (SWAN) annual conference as the Lead Utility Partner. The 14th annual SWAN conference will be held in Vancouver from May 20-22, 2024. This year, the theme of the global smart water event is Bridging Water Realities: Embracing Collaborative Innovation. As the Lead Utility Partner, Metro Vancouver will host morning utility [...]

Utilities need to navigate the delicate balance of providing water services to all customers, including those needing bill payment assistance, while also recovering service delivery costs.Utilities can provide customer assistance programs for customers who need help with their bill payments. When designed effectively, rate structures can also help address the challenges low-income households face.Join CWN and Stantec for a webinar [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) is excited to welcome Alicia Wang for a four month co-op term as a communications and marketing student. She is joining us from the University of Waterloo, where she is in her third year of the honours arts and business program.  Over the next four months, Alicia will be supporting CWN with an audience analysis [...]

Water utilities face the complex task of incorporating climate adaptation into their long-term strategies. A recent webinar hosted by Canadian Water Network (CWN) and GHD tackled this issue. Greg Finlayson from GHD Australia and Ryan Brotchie from GHD Canada introduced the Adaptive Pathways Planning (APP) framework as a solution. This approach is gaining traction globally for managing water resources [...]

In March 2024, Canadian Water Network (CWN) convened the second meeting of the stormwater management Strategic Sharing Group. Eighteen leaders from 11 water utilities heard from the City of Calgary about its 2023 Stormwater Strategy. Frank Frigo highlighted that the strategy rests on four pillars: fostering community resilience, ensuring proactive asset operation and maintenance, adopting low-impact and green stormwater [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) interviewed Peter Gleick, author of The Three Ages of Water: Prehistoric Past, Imperiled Present, and a Hope for the Future. What prompted you to write your book The Three Ages of Water? I've worked on water issues my entire career. With the Pacific Institute, we’ve been looking at water and sustainability, water and climate, water [...]

Over the past two decades process intensification has emerged as a major trend in wastewater treatment and is the key to sustainable wastewater treatment. It is smaller, cleaner, safer and more energy-efficient than conventional treatment. So, what exactly is process intensification, and why is there so much focus on it today? Is it just a fad? Or is it the [...]

The Government of Canada is investing $59.6 million over five years to amplify and expedite research initiatives that will help ensure communities have the knowledge and guidance needed to adapt to climate change impacts. “The research and data delivered through this investment will strengthen communities and help them better protect the homes, businesses and livelihoods of their residents from [...]