On December 8, 2025, AtkinsRéalis presented to Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) Bioresources Strategic Sharing Group. The community of practice brings together Municipal Water Consortium members to exchange knowledge, stay ahead of emerging biosolids management trends and issues, and identify evolving solutions.

This brief summarizes key lessons and perspectives shared during that session, drawing on the company’s experience supporting utilities in developing adaptive bioresources strategies. While grounded in practical project work, the insights reflect not only project-based learning, but also wider shifts in how the sector is responding to increasing complexity and uncertainty.

Utilities managing biosolids are operating in a rapidly evolving context shaped by emerging contaminants, changing regulations, shifting market conditions, climate commitments, and growing public expectations. Many of these factors are difficult to predict with confidence, yet they have significant implications for long-term infrastructure investments.

Adaptive planning has emerged as an approach to navigate this uncertainty. Rather than seeking a single optimal solution based on a forecasted future, it emphasizes developing flexible strategies that remain robust across a range of plausible conditions and can evolve as new information becomes available. This shift—from prediction to adaptability—was a central theme of the discussion and underpins the lessons summarized in this case study.

Read the case study