Health Canada has set a new objective for 25 specific per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water at 30 ng/L. This new objective replaces two previous drinking water guidelines and nine screening values derived for individual PFAS. The objective of 30 ng/L is based on treatment data and is considered reasonably achievable using common [...]
Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada (HICC) is introducing a new climate toolkit initiative to help communities build resilient and low-carbon public infrastructure, such as water and wastewater facilities. This initiative will offer tools and support services to help communities integrate climate-smart solutions into their projects. These include: A climate help desk that will respond [...]
In 2019, the federal Minister of Environment was directed to “advance the modernization of the Canada Water Act to reflect Canada’s freshwater reality, including climate change and Indigenous rights.” The Canada Water Agency (CWA) is currently leading a pre-engagement with key partners to understand how they want to engage in this initiative. The Agency is meeting [...]
Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, which included the Canada Water Agency Act, royal assent on June 20, 2024. It sought to establish the Canada Water Agency (CWA) as a standalone entity outside of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The Act also outlined various administrative and transition provisions for the standalone Agency. Before [...]
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. The agenda is an inclusive and coordinated roadmap that identifies the most pressing freshwater challenges across Canada. It will inform a coordinated approach to the science needed [...]
In Canada, we are privileged to have municipal water leaders from diverse backgrounds serving communities across the country. At Canadian Water Network (CWN), we are highlighting these exceptional individuals. Our aim is to celebrate and elevate their contributions by creating profiles that showcase their career paths and insights on industry trends. For our second [...]
The second year of the Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) and National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS) peer learning program has continued with renewed vigour. Water Canada Award We’re excited to share that our WBS program received an award from Water Canada. Water Canada’s Awards recognize people, projects and technologies that [...]
Over the summer and looking ahead to the fall, the Canadian Water Municipal Consortium continues to focus on supporting utility leaders in building sustainable, equitable and resilient cities. A core thread of this is navigating uncertainty amid changing realities of service delivery – from digital transformation and managing risks from contaminants of emerging concern [...]
Our water and climate team has been busy attending industry conferences, collaborating with other organizations in the sector, and ramping up projects. Here are some updates on what we’ve been up to. Highlights from IWA’s World Water Congress and Exhibition In August, the International Water Association’s (IWA) World Water Congress and Exhibition Toronto brought [...]
Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) CEO Nicola Crawhall sat down with Dr. Niladri Basu for a fascinating discussion on the revolution underway in toxicity testing and implications for regulations and approvals in Canada. Dr. Basu is a Canada Research Chair (Tier I) in Environmental Health Sciences. He is also a professor in the Centre for [...]
