Our interest is certainly piqued at the reference to a Canada Water Agency in the Prime Minister’s mandate letters to both the Minister of Environment & Climate Change (Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson) and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau).   While we aren’t yet sure what all might fall under that agency, it would seem to be more geared at overall water resources – protection and management.  No matter the extent of the agency, it is being hailed as a very positive mood.

CWWA is excited to be partnering with the Canadian Water Summit (CWS) to locate our usual program of federal policy and initiatives alongside the CWS. The first day (June 10) will feature CWWA curated content that you all have come to expect from the Window on Ottawa. Together, we will help build important conversations on the policy and governance issues which are key to unlocking Canada’s blue economy.

On December 16, 2019, the Energy Future Forum (EFF), a new multi-year, multi-sector initiative to facilitate the innovative thinking needed to bridge the long-standing energy-environment divide, was officially launched at a meeting in Toronto. EFF's inaugural gathering, hosted by Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), included more than 30 participants from the federal and Alberta governments, energy companies, environmental groups, the finance industry, Indigenous groups, universities and research specialists.

On December 19, 2019, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) posted Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life: manganese.

Environment Canada recently shared data collected as part of the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations as open data. The released data includes the full dataset from 2013-2017 as well as summary reports for 2016.

Water Canada

Marc Miller, minister of Indigenous services, provided the department’s monthly progress update on drinking water advisories affecting public systems on reserves.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have launched a call for applications to environmental funding programs, including funding under the Great Lakes Protection Initiative (GLPI). Through the GLPI, the Government of Canada has taken action to address the most significant environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health. The Initiative focuses on eight priority areas for action, including reducing releases of Chemicals of Mutual Concern (CMCs).

This year we’re back in central Canada in Niagara Falls Ontario. Our website is launched and includes online submission for presentation proposals. For 2020 we’re looking forward to even more sessions that speak directly to the biggest challenges for water and wastewater utility leaders.

CWWA would like to extend condolences to Duncan Ellison, former Executive Director on the recent passing of his wife Lorraine. During Duncan's time with CWWA, Lorraine was a staple at CWWA events, and part of the Association family. After his retirement, Duncan has continued his involvement in several national initiatives and with the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and Lorraine frequently attended these meetings alongside Duncan.

If you would like to extend condolences you can reach Duncan at duncanellison@gmail.com.

CWWA joins with WEAO and water professionals across Canada in mourning the tragic loss of Bahareh Kamiri; such a young and talented colleague.  The shooting down of the Ukrainian airplane in Iran has impacted so many Canadians including our water community. 

See the fuller statement from the Water Environment Association of Ontario where Bahareh was a very active Young Professional and Committee Co-Chair.

Water Canada

The CSA Group, with the support of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), has designed a new standard that aims to reduce the impact of frequent and intense flooding events on new communities.

The International Joint Commission (IJC) has announced that it is inviting public comment on recommendations made by the International Red River Board (IRRB) in a report describing proposed nutrient concentration objectives and nutrient load targets for the Red River at the boundary between the United States and Canada. According to the IJC, excessive nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen and resulting increase in the frequency and severity of algal blooms is one of the greatest water quality challenges facing the international Red River watershed and downstream Lake Winnipeg. Comment deadline: February 28, 2020.

This report provides an overview of provincial programs, policies and initiatives to protect drinking water in Ontario.

I Heart Radio

The Nova Scotia government has announced it will provide drinking water to 324 public schools in January until lead testing in all schools can be completed.

NACWA

In collaboration with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) and the Freshwater Forum at the Cranbrook Institute of Science, the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) created a comprehensive education program – the One Water Campaign. The highly visible and engaging regional campaign was designed to raise awareness of and generate appreciation for water resources and infrastructure topics including drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and the connection of these to the blue economy, recreation, quality of life and economic prosperity in Southeast Michigan.

ESE Magazine

Following its public announcement of a major combined sewage discharge, the City of Hamilton, Ontario has introduced a series of new measures, which notably includes an enhanced public notification protocol for bypasses at its wastewater treatment plant as well as combined sewer overflow (CSO) locations.

Water Canada

Amey—a supplier of consulting and infrastructure support services in the U.K.—will be using a new augmented reality app to help fight blockages caused by unflushables.

Polis Water Project

Effective and sustainable freshwater management is an urgent priority for communities to maintain ecosystem health, sustain economic prosperity, and advance reconciliation between state and Indigenous environmental management.

Released today, a new Innovation Brief from the University of Victoria’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project and Environmental Law Centre investigates the myriad possibilities associated with Water Sustainability Plans, enabled by British Columbia’s new Water Sustainability Act, to address the water challenges ahead and embed sustainability in B.C.

Treatment Plant Operators

A recent study of seven wastewater treatment plants in the Eastern U.S. reveals a mixed record when it comes to removing medicines such as antibiotics and antidepressants.

IWA Source

Utilities around the world have shown that nature-based approaches can be justified economically and deliver wider benefits when compared to traditional infrastructure. The Source heard from Andrea Erickson, of The Nature Conservancy, which has collaborated with IWA to produce a new report.

IWA Source

UN member states meeting in Sri Lanka have endorsed a proposed roadmap for action on nitrogen challenges, set out in the ‘Colombo Declaration on Sustainable Nitrogen Management’.

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Several Democratic U.S. House representatives are calling on their colleagues to pass a bill Friday concerning PFAS chemicals. It’s a bill that President Trump’s senior advisors will recommend he veto.

Reuters

BUNGKHLA, Thailand/BANGKOK (Reuters) - When the normally murky brown Mekong River turned a brilliant blue late last year, villagers in northeastern Thailand were surprised. Then, this week, unusually large patches of green algae appeared, clogging up nets and making it almost impossible to fish.

Water Canada

Water levels are still increased up to 40 years after a wildfire, according to a new paper published in the journal Hydrological Processes.

“Trees work like straws, pulling water up out of the ground,” said Ryan Niemeyer, an adjunct faculty member in Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR).

Water Online

Mini-microplastics uncovered in the stomachs of filter-feeding marine organisms

Nothing seems safe from plastic contamination. A new study by NSF-funded researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography suggests there could be a million times more pieces of plastic in the ocean than previously estimated.

Water Online

Few businesses can neglect invoicing for their goods and services and still remain in business. For water utilities, system leaks and bad meter readings have turned non-revenue water (NRW) into a massive problem.