You may notice that this month’s bulletin is a bit shorter than usual! All of our staff have been working overtime to prepare for the 16th National Conference on Drinking Water, so we haven’t been able to put 100% of our resources into the Bulletin. While we apologize for a leaner, meaner e-newletter we hope that the benefits of such an event far outweigh the sacrifice.

In case you were wondering, yes, this is still Robert writing this column and not Duncan. We regularly provide space in our CWWA e-Bulletin and at our conferences for Duncan Ellison to provide updates on several standards committees and their initiatives. Duncan is still considered a member of our CWWA team as our Standards Coordinator, but I thought it a perfect time to add my voice on the importance of standards to our industry.

to be hosted in Whistler, BC, October 25-28, 2015.

The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) is excited to announce a new event strategy for their national-level water and wastewater events. No longer will we run multiple conferences and workshops, each focused on a separate field of our joint industry (water or wastewater or efficiency or security or climate, etc) and each on a different biennial schedule. Commencing in 2015, the CWWA will facilitate ONE, ANNUAL, national conference, bringing all disciplines and delegates under one roof.

The Window on Ottawa is CWWA’s core event featuring presentations from federal departments and national organizations on new initiatives and regulatory developments on a national level. This is your chance to hear what’s coming down the pipe from the federal government. The Window format and intimate delegation also allows an opportunity for our delegates to interact with the senior government officials developing policies and programs that will impact operations.

The Canadian Infrastructure Report Card (CIRC) led by FCM and others– has released its 2014 Asset Management Primer. The document highlights the importance of strong asset management practices for Canadian municipalities.

Canadian communities are facing challenges – due to growth, increasing urbanization, financial constraints, climate change and more. What information do water managers and decision-makers need to keep their cities healthy and safe?

FCM president Brad Woodside presented to the House of Commons Finance Committee. Amongst other issues, President Woodside highlighted new federal wastewater regulations and affordable housing as two key issues of importance to municipalities. He also discussed the importance of strengthening the federal and municipal partnership.

To address the concerns and questions from the water sector, many water and public health organizations, including the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.), have been seeking reliable and credible information on Ebola. While currently there is limited data on the fate and transport of Ebola in wastewater collection systems, developing protective precautions is prudent. To that end, these organizations have been in contact and conversation with appropriate federal agencies on the issue of wastewater worker safety and the inactivation of Ebola by wastewater treatment processes.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) proudly announces students from the University of South Florida and the University of British Columbia as winners of the 2014 WEF Student Design Competition. The thirteenth annual competition took place earlier this month as part of WEFTEC® 2014, WEF's 87th annual technical exhibition and conference

Canada is home to some truly groundbreaking and innovative water professionals and technologies, and it’s time to recognize their achievements with the only national awards program in the Canadian water sector—Water’s Next.

The guideline technical document of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality for nitrate and nitrite is now available on Health Canada's web site.

Environment Canada (EC) has published in the Canada Gazette on October 11th, 2014, a notice under Section 46 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, requiring the reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the year 2014. Facilities with GHG emissions that meet or exceed the 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (50 kt CO2 eq.) emissions threshold must report their GHG information to Environment Canada on or before June 1, 2015.

More than 300,000 people took part in the People's Climate March on September 21, 2014 in New York – the single largest climate protest in history. The march coincided with last month's United Nations Climate Summit in New York, which was organized, in part, to prepare for a critical climate change meeting in Lima, Peru, in December 2014, followed by an ultimate meeting in December 2015 in Paris.

In his 2013/14 Annual report "Managing New Challenges" Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner comments on many areas of provincial activity. In the water sector, they are recommending that the Ministry of Environment require municipalities to recover the full costs of their drinking water systems. The summary of the relevant section is below. Or access the complete report from the Commissioner webpage.

Ontario approved the Sudbury Source Protection Plan (SSP) to strengthen local source-to-tap drinking water protection on September 30, 2014. The plan, developed by municipal and community partners on the Sudbury source protection committee, will take effect April 1, 2015.

The generous support of our sponsors, exhibitors and in-kind supporters is vital to making CWWA events successful! We'd like to thank everyone who has supported the 16th National Conference on Drinking Water so far. There are still limited opportunities left for anyone still interested in supporting the event and accessing our fantastic range of delegates.

Ground Water Canada
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change has provided information for water system operators on blue-green algae blooms.

Water Canada
The Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) of Victor Valley, California, held a ceremony on September 26 to mark the successful startup of its new Omnivore biogas production system, which was supplied by Burlington, Ontario’s Anaergia Inc. The high solids digestion technology is the first of its kind in use in North America.

Edmonton Journal
What will be Canada’s largest facility of its kind will recover nutrients from Edmonton’s waste water and turn it into eco-friendly, slow-release fertilizer.

Regina Leader-Post
The city is pouring more than $1 million into water studies to ensure Regina and the region’s infrastructure can support future growth.

Top Class Actions
Canada and America are moving toward regulating marketing of "flushable" wipes and setting industry standards for these products, which many individual consumers and wastewater experts allege cause a lot of problems.

AWWA
The recent Ebola cases in the United States have raised questions about protocols for worker safety at wastewater treatment facilities and general public health associated with water treatment operations. We have requested guidance from both EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in determining if there are additional protective or treatment protocols to consider or implement.

AWWA
PBS recently announced a new series they will begin airing on Oct. 15 titled "How We Got to Now With Steven Johnson". This six-part program features examinations of the history and people behind innovations that have been instrumental in creating a successful modern society.

Eco Watch
The prolonged drought in California, now entering its fourth year, has altered the state’s mix of energy generation sources, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). That’s mixed news for those pushing for more reliance on renewables and less on fossil fuels.

CBC News
Recent reports of drugs in our drinking water might have some people heading for the bottled water aisle of their nearest grocery store, but in most parts of Canada, choosing bottled water over tap is a matter of taste or convenience, not health.

Water Online
"With great power comes great responsibility." Whether you recognize the quote from Voltaire (1832) or Spider-Man (2002), it is an enduring truth. And while the world of water/wastewater may not excite like a superhero, the work is important.

Exchange Magazine.com
Innovation in water hasn't been entirely glacial. But when startups try to sell their technology to utilities focused on ensuring a regular and clean supply of water, new ideas take a back seat to safety and reliability.
"Failure is not an option with water," said Cindy Wallis-Lage, who heads the water business at engineering and consulting company Black and Veatch.

Cleantech Canada
Advances in climate change science could be creating a huge legal liability for major Canadian energy companies, especially from foreign judgments being enforced locally, a new study suggests.

Hamilton Spectator
The Toledo drinking water crisis was a wake up call for U.S. cities, but many Canadian mayors have known there’s a problem with algae at home.

St. John's Telegram
When Dr. Tahir Husain of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University set out to find affordable filtration technology to supply safe drinking water in small communities in the province, he didn't think he would find a potential solution in the oil and gas industry.

Toronto Star
Sixty years ago, on Oct. 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel ripped through Toronto, killing 81 people and leaving 1,868 homeless. It remains the worst storm in Toronto’s history, as well as a massive wake-up call for urban planning in Toronto.

Water Canada
The federal government and the Province of Manitoba announced on October 16 that five Manitoba communities in the Interlake Region will receive funding for water and wastewater projects.

Water Canada
On July 8, 2012, Environment Canada published the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) under the Fisheries Act, a set of national wastewater effluent quality standards to be achieved through secondary treatment. While Canadian wastewater operators are on board with a national wastewater policy, the question remains: Who’s picking up the cheque?