As Canada advances toward net zero and intensified climate adaptation goals, there is growing recognition that achieving deep emissions reductions will require optimizing existing infrastructure alongside deploying new clean energy systems. Wastewater Energy Transfer (WET) systems are an emerging component of Canada’s clean energy and low carbon infrastructure landscape. By capturing thermal energy contained in [...]
The City of Selkirk, located about 20 minutes north of Winnipeg, provides water and wastewater treatment services to roughly 10,500 residents. Its McLean Avenue water treatment plant is a two‑part facility, with the original building constructed in 1961 and a major addition completed in 2011. In 2018, the condition of the facility’s furnace, combined with [...]
In a country where more than 90 percent of communities are small or rural municipalities, resilience cannot be undertaken by large cities alone. Instead, it must be a shared endeavour that reflects the realities of communities everywhere. The City of Selkirk stands out as a leading example of how smaller municipalities can take meaningful, sustained [...]
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious and growing threat to human health. It is already causing significant illness and death worldwide, including in Canada. Without urgent action, AMR will continue to undermine the effectiveness of life-saving medical treatments and lead to major social and economic costs. To help water sector stakeholders better understand this emerging [...]
Canadian Water Network (CWN) hosted an insightful webinar that explored the City of Calgary’s experience navigating low water conditions in 2024. The webinar covered how the City rapidly transitioned to a water-shortage response. Its experience offers valuable lessons on real-time decision-making, communication, and operational agility. Watch the recording View the slides View the summary
Sometimes the biggest opportunities are hiding in plain sight. Years ago, a sewer trunk line running beside Markham District Energy's Warden Energy Centre was viewed as an inconvenient constraint that would complicate the routing of thermal energy piping. Today, that same infrastructure is the foundation of what will become the largest wastewater energy transfer system [...]
How can municipalities start tackling wastewater emissions? We partnered with GHD to develop a new case study that explores how Canadian municipalities can build their first wastewater greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory — a critical step toward climate mitigation. Key takeaways: Municipalities typically choose between using an existing tool or developing a custom calculator. Publicly available [...]
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a contract based collaborative project delivery model designed to align the interests, objectives, and practices of all project participants — owners, designers, and contractors —toward shared project success. It is a multiparty agreement signed by all key project partners. This brief by Bird Construction provides information about the core principles [...]
Key insights Strategic rate increases can drive infrastructure renewal. Transparency builds public trust. Infrastructure investment must outpace decay. Conservation and financial sustainability can coexist. Clear prioritization of capital projects improves resource allocation. Read the full case study
As communities across Canada look for cost-effective ways to reduce emissions, Wastewater Energy Transfer (WET) systems offer an opportunity to reduce reliance on carbon intensive energy sources and leverage existing sewage infrastructure. This primer explores: How WET systems work. Canadian and international examples of WET systems. Key technical, economic, and policy considerations. Read the primer
