We truly are expecting this to be a happy new year for all of us. While we hate to see the effect of the low oil prices on our western communities, we hope there will be corresponding savings in our municipal budgets and that the low dollar may spark investment in Canadian industries and communities.

 

We hope the biggest news will be the investment of billions of federal and provincial dollars into critical water and wastewater projects. The new federal government is still talking more about transit and bridges, but we’re working on them to recognize the importance of our water projects to national health and the economy.

 

On the wastewater front, we expect to have a formal definition of the word "flushable" through a new ISO standard. This will strengthen our ability to adjust industry practices, either voluntarily or through eventual regulation. We also hope to see direct financial support for those facing deadlines under the new Wastewater System Effluent Regulations.

 

Meanwhile, on our association front, our committees will be active building resources for our members and rewriting our position statements on national issues – we can always use your input!  As for conferences, we are reintroducing the Window On Ottawa this June (a much better time to visit Ottawa) and we expect to see our new National Water & Wastewater Conference continue to grow this November in Toronto.

 

Wishing you a successful 2016,

Robert