This caught me by surprise too! As discussions turn to politics from time to time and the possibility of a government change, I have repeatedly said, "don’t hold your breath". I expected, maybe, a Conservative minority. But these Election Results were a surprise for many. Whatever your political opinion, things are going to change.

Thank you to all the Sponsors and Exhibitors who helped support hte 1st National Water and Wastewater Conference

The rapid rise in the development of unconventional oil and shale gas reserves over the last decade has been accompanied by a similar explosion in levels of discussion and debate on the topic. Central to the vast majority of conversations about hydraulic fracturing is the issue of water – its use, management and protection, and ecological and socio-economic importance.

Canadian Water Network's 2015 Water and Hydraulic Fracturing report summarizes what we know now, what we most need to know, and what is reasonable for advancement through targeted research.

Through Showcasing Water Innovation (SWI), Ontario supported 32 high value projects in Ontario cities, towns and First Nation's communities. These projects used innovative technologies and approaches to solve drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater challenges. WaterTAP is pleased to share the SWI final report and resources.

Access the report, case studies and videos from the WaterTap website.

With the Liberals winning a majority government in last week’s federal election, the political landscape in Canada is poised for change. With the liberal government planning on running budget deficits to allow investment in infrastructure, this could be an opportunity to fund water and wastewater upgrades, and secure much needed funding to meet the Wastewater Effluent Regulation requirements.

By Cindy Toth, WEAO, CSJWP National Organizer and Head Judge, Town of Oakville

Ms. Nicole Zhao, a senior at Markville Secondary School in Markham (Unionville), Ontario travelled to Stockholm, Sweden in late August to compete for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize as Canada’s representative.

Drink Guide for iPhone app - On any given day, there are about 1,600 water advisories in Canada. Using research data from Lake Ontario Waterkeeper’s ‘WaterToday’ website, this free ‘app’ lists four types of advisories: Boil Water, Do Not Consume, Water Shortage, and Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae). Download Drink Guide for iPhone in the app store.

The Board of the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) recently approved a submission to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing concerning the 2015 Municipal Act five-year review and Municipal Conflict of Interest Act review.

Since 2002, CWWA members have been active in a number of ISO Technical Committees (TC) drafting ISO standards. This participation has brought benefits to the participants as well as to the contents of the standards, now reflecting Canadian values and perspectives.

Novus Environmental Inc. specializes in the fields of air quality, wind & climate, sound & vibration, and sustainable water with a goal of harmonizing the built and natural environments. Novus has teamed with the University of Lethbridge to develop Geomatics based watershed modeling tools to solve watershed management issues, world-wide.

We are a team of hydraulic engineers with a mission to improve the "design" process in the water industry. Our goal is to develop modeling tools that truly evaluate your design while limiting the human involvement to decision making only.

When developing and evaluating design alternatives, engineers invest a significant amount of time to study the systems, identify and compare critical scenarios, and update their designs based on their analyses. This process is time consuming, prone to human mistakes, and exposes the engineer to many risks. Our patent-pending tool aims to limit human involvement in all of these steps while providing full control for the designers to lead the way.

In contrast to our competitors, we ourselves are users of our software! We have developed the very models to use in our design process, so we fully appreciate the design process and what it entails, and our goal is to utilize the newest computational technologies to revolutionize design in water industry.

"The era of tedious manual design evaluation has passed..."

Kwantlen Polytechnic University now offers Water & Wastewater core training programs such as; Water Distribution, Water Treatement, Wastewater Collection, Wastewater Treatment and related Safety courses.

Visit the CWWA Events calendar for upcoming water events.

The Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce will organize, in cooperation with the City of Toronto, its second conference on water and wastewater on November 24th, 2015. Join us to explore the multiple opportunities that are available in this market.

Join attendees from across the country in Edmonton from May 17-19 for the 2016 Canadian Biosolids and Residuals Conference. Our technical sessions will cover the latest innovations and advancements of existing residuals and biosolids technologies and management in a uniquely Canadian context. Whether you are a seasoned biosolids professional or new to the field, this conference promises something for everyone.

Water Canada
The City of Thunder Bay has announced the beginning of a Corrosion Control Pilot Study in the Hodder Pressure Zone starting in December 2015. This will involve adjusting the water chemistry of treated water in order to measure the effectiveness of reducing lead levels at the tap. The Current River area was chosen for the study because it is the lowest pressure zone, and is therefore easy to isolate, according to Erin Marcella-Fui, municipal planning and research analyst.

Water Canada
What started as a measure of preventative maintenance, escalated into a federal election issue. News that the City of Montréal was set to release eight billion litres of wastewater into the St. Lawrence River spread quickly after the city received approval by the provincial government.

Water Canada
A statement released this week by 14 groups from Canada and the U.S., including World Wildlife Fund Canada, says that cutting phosphorous in Lake Erie by 40 per cent is a commendable target, but it should be bound by clear timelines and include the entire Lake system.

Water Canada
Residents and watershed groups in Prince Edward Island are concerned that the city of Charlottetown’s water restrictions are insufficient for preserving the health of small streams. Sarah Wheatley, watershed co-ordinator of the Winter River-Tracadie Bay Watershed Association says they have been monitoring the situation for several years and have documented dry streams over six seasons since 2001, dry springs and private wells, and decreasing fish stocks.

Water Canada
The Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency (AEMERA) has launched a newly redesigned website, as part of the organization’s efforts to increase transparency and build trust in the government’s environmental monitoring efforts.

Coffins are floating out of the ground as a result of flooding in South Carolina. "As [the state] deals with deadly, 1,000-year flooding caused by Hurricane Joaquin this weekend, a strange, grim effect of the deluge is being felt throughout the area: coffins are surfacing and floating in the floodwaters," Mashable reported.

Montreal Gazette
Environment Canada’s panel charged with reviewing Montreal’s planned sewage dump is a sham, says a prominent scientist.
The federal department has the expertise and Environment Canada scientists have already done the work, said Sarah Dorner, an associate professor at École Polytechnique and one of five signatories of a position paper declaring the plan to dump billions of litres of sewage justified.

Edmonton Journal
In new city suburbs, sewage from all those toilets should be used to create electricity and run mini-treatment plants, says a University of Alberta water researcher.

Nanaimo Bulletin
People wondering where their water comes from, how it's used, land uses in their area and even areas of First Nations historical significance can turn to a new Regional District of Nnaaimo online interactive map.

Waterloo Region Record
Prepare to hear more about biosolids than you probably ever wanted to.
The Region of Waterloo kicks off a wide-reaching engagement campaign on the cakelike material Nov. 17 in an attempt to educate the public ahead of a decision on how to deal with the material.

Digital Journal
Some scientists have been concerned that wastewater, where bacteria and antibiotics mix, could be seeding an increase in antibiotic resistance. A new study puts forward evidence that this is not the case.

Canadian Water Network
Central to the vast majority of conversations about hydraulic fracturing is the issue of water – its use, its management and protection, and its ecological, social and economic importance. There are many unknowns, but this is a fast-paced and important area in which decisions being made should hinge upon scientific knowledge.

The Guardian
The draw on Charlottetown's water system is huge, far beyond the needs of just residents, so a new water act must recognize that fact, the city says.

Lambton Shield
Lambton College is adding a brand new program to its growing roster of technology diplomas.
The Environmental Technician – Water & Wastewater Systems Operations, a two-year diploma, includes 12 months of co-op experience.