That was my tweet from the National Conference in Banff – “Fresh Air Inspires Fresh Thinking”.   I think that was true for all that attended.  I am still receiving great compliments on the quality of the technical program and the national discussions that ensued.  I have to thank all of the committee volunteers that helped build that program and to the 150 speakers that contributed so greatly to making this event so successful.

For 2020 CWWA is joining with the Water Summit to expand the Window on Ottawa - we'll still be offering the same great presentations from the federal government on policies and legislation impacting the water and wastewater sector but with an expanded focus on more aspects of water management and stewardship.

More details are coming in the new year, but in the meantime save the date - June 10-12, 2020.

It's already time to start planning your participation in NWWC2020 in Niagara Falls Ontario. If you're interested in presenting, be sure to submit a presentation proposal. We're excited to build a program that reflects the newest research, techniques and challenges faced by the water and wastewater sectors.

On October 21, 2019, Justin Trudeau and the liberal government won the federal election but the slim victory means the liberals will form a minority government. , The new Cabinet is to be announced on November 20, 2019 and will be covered in the December issue of the Bulletin.

A new Environment and Climate Change Canada report, posted on October 30, shows that less than 10% of Canadian plastic gets recycled. The report, by researchers and experts at Deloitte and ChemInfo Services, shows that 2.795 million tonnes of plastic waste end up going to landfills, while only 305,000 tonnes get recycled

This Standard specifies mapping requirements for the recording and depiction of underground utility infrastructure and related appurtenances at or below grade. The Standard applies to proposed, existing, abandoned in-place, retired, or reserved for future use, underground utility infrastructure and deals with the generation, storage, distribution, and use of mapping records to ensure that underground utilities are readily identifiable and locatable. Application of this Standard is designed to ensure that accurate information about the location and nature of the underground utility infrastructure is captured and available for future projects. Contact: mark.braiter@csagroup.org; Review end date: December 4, 2019. 

Recent articles across several national and international media platforms has put lead in drinking water onto the front page. The stories are the result of a year-long investigation by more than 120 journalists from nine universities and 10 media organizations

Everyone at CWWA is just returning to reality after an incredible (and exhausting) conference in Banff. We couldn’t have asked for a more magical setting, or better group of delegates and programming.

Kristen McGillivray, Western Canada Water Environment Association

This past May, the volunteer judges from the CSJWP selected “A Heavy Metal Extraction Process to Clean Contaminated Water Using Tannin-Embedded Biopolymers” authored by 16-year-old Emily Mah and 17-year-old Jazlyn McGuinty from Widdifield Secondary School in North Bay, Ontario to represent Canada at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP). They spent the rest of their summer tailoring their project and creating two formats of posters to meet the SJWP competition requirements. I had the great pleasure of accompanying Emily and Jazlyn to the SJWP as the National Organizer for Canada in August.  After a summer of getting to know both young women, I can assure you of one thing – if this is what the future looks like, we are safe. Last month I had the opportunity to catch up with them and reflect on their experience. 

Like many older North American municipalities, Hamilton is dealing with the issue of items being flushed down the toilet that should not be. Flushing inappropriate items is leading to the damage of homes, neighbourhoods, the wastewater treatment system and even Hamilton Harbour. The City has created the Own Your Throne campaign to help educate residents of the impact caused by flushing items that should never be flushed. The only things that should be flushed are pee, poo and toilet paper.

Check out the city's fabulous youtube series!

At the 24th World Congress & Exhibition of the International Ozone Association which was held in Nice, France October 20-25, Dr. Saad Jasim, P.Eng., was inaugurated as the President of the International Ozone Association, that marked the commencement of the First Canadian to lead the association which was established in 1973. Dr. Jasim’s term starts on January 2020-January 2022. Representatives from 32 countries attended the 24th World Congress.

CWWA congratulates Dr. Jasim on this accomplishment

Do you want to start talking about asset management in your municipality? Use our customizable presentation to get the conversation started with your colleagues and elected officials. This ready-to-use presentation explains asset management and its benefits, and outlines how you can take action. You can also adapt the presentation to suit your preferences as well as the needs of your community.

Starting October 28, 2019, communities in Ontario with populations under 100,000 can apply for funding to support infrastructure through the Green Infrastructure stream. The Green Infrastructure stream is the fourth stream Ontario is opening under the joint federal/provincial Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). Applicants may apply for project funding up to a maximum of $3 million in total per project for eligible costs. Approximately $200 million dollars is available in federal and provincial funding.

The Province anticipates launching an additional intake of the Green Infrastructure stream in 2020 that could focus on other emerging priorities for water, wastewater and stormwater projects and/or disaster mitigation.

The Ministry is proposing to transfer requirements from all nine of Ontario’s sector-specific industrial effluent monitoring and limits regulations into individual Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA's), and then revoke these regulations, so that all wastewater operations in the same industrial sector are governed by the same legal tool to help create a level playing field within the sectors.

Chicago Tribune

Every year, an explosion of microscopic life reigns over western Lake Erie, forming a green slick of algae and bacteria so massive and vibrant that it can be seen from space.

Water Canada

Yesterday, the City of Hamilton’s Public Works Committee received a presentation from Nick Winters, director of water and wastewater operations, regarding an enhanced public notification protocol for bypasses at the wastewater treatment plant or at combined sewer overflow (CSO) locations.

Water Canada

A new Innovation Brief from the University of Victoria’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project and Environmental Law Centre investigates how Water Sustainability Plans, enabled by British Columbia’s new Water Sustainability Act, can help address the water challenges ahead in the province.

Water Canada

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, and Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager, Cathy Stepp, unveiled an updated action plan under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

NACWA

EPA’s proposed new Lead and Copper Rule was published today in the Federal Register, initiating a 60-day public comment period that will close January 13, 2020.   

As previously reported in the Clean Water Current, this proposal could impact clean water utilities due to its encouraged use of orthophosphate as a corrosion control technology (CCT).