Last year’s National Water & Wastewater Conference (NWWC) in Whistler was a great success – educationally, socially and financially. We were nervous leading into our first consolidated conference, but the combination of programs and the focus on utility leadership paid off. It’s a hard act to follow but we are up for the challenge and are confident we will produce another great event.

One of the biggest challenges for our sector is keeping water centre stage. Residents flush the toilet or turn on the tap, and forget about the complex infrastructure, treatment and professionals that are needed to keep that happening. Not only that, but it’s easy to forget the vital role water and our industry plays in ensuring human and environmental health. Without an engaged public and politicians it’s easy for water to be relegated at the bottom of a long list of municipal priorities from recreation complexes to transit.

A face-to-face meeting between Infrastructure Canada and CWWA representatives was held on August 22, 2016 to discuss a newly proposed Core Public Infrastructure (CPI) Survey conducted by Infrastructure Canada and Statistics Canada to take an in-depth look at the infrastructure across the country.

Water Canada recently published a statement from four Canadian professors and water experts in response to a letter to the Hamilton Spectator regarding the "danger of biosolids".The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association fully supports this letter from Professors Sibley, McCarthy, Metcalfe and Loyo and applauds their strength of conviction on this topic. As the association that represents the municipal utilities across Canada, we have always endorsed the beneficial use of biosolids. This is a strictly regulated use that considers risk, efficiency, energy, climate change and the beneficial impacts and is closely monitored to ensure a healthy community. Furthermore, the beneficial uses of biosolids provide municipal governments and regional districts nationwide with the opportunity to be a partner in projects related to GHG emission reduction and climate change mitigation.

A partnership of water sector organizations—the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF) and the WateReuse Association—with input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—proudly announce the recipients of the inaugural Utility of the Future (UOTF) Today Recognition Program. The program celebrates the progress and exceptional performance of wastewater utilities while supporting the widespread adoption of the innovative UOTF business model.

Funded through Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Science Horizons Program, the Environmental Youth Corps (EYC) Internship Program gives eligible employers who work in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM), up to 50% of an intern’s salary (up to $15,000) for new full-time environmental jobs.

With over $7.0M in funding for 2016, this program helps businesses grow their teams and provide meaningful environmental jobs for young professionals.

On July 30. 2016, the Government of Canada announced that new Occupational Health and Safety regulations under the Canada Labour Code, which are intended to better protect federally regulated workers who use, handle and store hazardous products in the workplace, will be published in Part II of the Canada Gazette later this month.

Environment Canada has recently recommended changing reporting requirements for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons to the NPRI, that could impact wastewater and biosolids facilities.

The Ontario Government has released new proposed amendments Reg. 404/12 Energy Efficiency – Appliances and Products, under the Green Energy Act, 2009. The proposed amendments will:

- set or update efficiency requirements for certain prescribed energy products in order to encourage energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions;

- set efficiency requirements for certain prescribed water-consuming products in order to encourage water efficiency and to reduce water consumption.

Online public consultation of Prince Edward Island’s Climate Change Mitigation Strategy was launched July 12, 2016. A draft strategy is expected to be made ready for release for public review and input later this summer.

The draft strategy is expected to be the subject of public meetings beginning in September. A separate Climate Change Adaptation Strategy will also be developed in the near future to take into consideration how Islanders need to address impacts of climate change.

Aqua Pure Technologies Inc. is a privately owned Canadian company operating out of Calgary, Alberta. We develop, manufacture, and operate water filtration solutions for industrial applications. Our team brings a wealth of knowledge with over two decades of experience within the field of separating oil, and solids from water. We have developed the PROH2O® system, a fully automated process equipped with advanced components meeting environment, health, and safety demands. Our PROH2O® units are exclusively patented in Canada, and around the globe.

H2O Innovation is known for its state of the art water & wastewater treatment systems. Through the years, we have developed a strong knowledge of membrane filtration and a solid understanding of the water industry. This brought us to elaborate a comprehensive offer and provide complete engineering services, in-house manufacturing and thorough after sale service.

The progression and maturity of the company naturally led us to erect a second pillar to enrich our business offer: the sale of specialty products and services, including the sale of maple equipment. With this solid business model, H2O Innovation positioned itself as a leader among the major water treatment players and is continuously increasing its market share.

Hydroflow is the solution provider for residential, commercial & industrial water treatment requirements. We have decades of worldwide experience in limescale management, improving water clarity and bio-fouling control.

Our wealth of experience covers a wide range of applications. This includes limescale protection for commercial offices and the hotel sector, various benefits for swimming pools and the leisure industry, cooling towers of all sizes, food processing, agricultural and manufacturing industries. We also cover more specialized applications such as mining, water transport and power stations.

For over 75 years, John Brooks Company has proudly been your Spraying, Pumping, Filtering Systems Specialists, providing innovative engineered products to vital Canadian markets. Our products include pumps, spray nozzles, filtration equipment and most recently valves, plus our custom engineered systems provide fluid handling solutions for a variety of applications.

Browse our calendar for CWWA and Member Events in 2016.

CBC
Two signs have been posted in Mattawa to mark the entrance to areas that are considered drinking water protection zones.

Winnipeg Free Press
The last remaining boil-water advisory in the Fort McMurray area after this spring's wildfire has been lifted.

Alberta Health Services says water quality has been restored to a safe level for all users of the northern Alberta city's treatment plant.

CBC
Millions of litres of clean, treated drinking water gets flushed down toilets every day, and Nicholas Ashbolt thinks that's incredibly wasteful.
"We are flushing our feces down the toilet with high-quality drinking water," said Ashbolt, who works at the school of public health at the University of Alberta. "It's a crying shame, in many ways, when you think about it.

Water Canada
Federated Co-operatives Limited’s oil refinery in Regina, Saskatchewan is set to achieve 100 per cent on-site recycled water after installing an industrial water recycling technology designed by GE. Once fully operationally, the FCL refinery will be the only refinery in North America to recycle all of its wastewater for steam production, which is used for heating, hydrogen production, to power equipment, and for cooling towers.

Water Canda
A team of researchers from Ghent University in Belgium have created a machine that can turn urine into drinking water and fertilizer using solar power. The researchers tested the new technology at an outdoor music festival, encouraging participants to share their views on social media with the hashtag #peeforscience. The experiment successfully recovered 1,000 litres of unconsumed water, which they said will be used to make Belgian beer.

Edmonton Journal
Overhauling the traditional view of water treatment and waste-water services in Alberta could allow cash-strapped municipalities to unbridle themselves from weighty infrastructure projects.

Water Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Bridgetown, N.S., today as part of an East Coast tour and announced nearly $116 million in federal funding for projects related to transit and water in the province.

Water Online
One of two men injured in an accident at the Wichita Falls River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant, in Wichita Falls, TX, has died of his injuries.

Water Canada
Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Honourable Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia, announced a new bilateral agreement that will result in more than $238 million being invested in wastewater and public transit projects across Nova Scotia.

Water Canada
Ontario will launch the intake process in early September to identify municipal and First Nations projects to be funded under phase one of the federal government’s new Clean Water and Wastewater Fund and Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, Premier Kathleen Wynne said on August 15