Canada’s water utility sector came alive from November 12-15, as leaders from academia, enterprise, and municipalities converged at the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association’s National Water and Wastewater Conference. This event, hosted at the Sheraton Fallsview in Niagara Falls, Ontario, aimed to bridge the gap between these three essential pillars in the pursuit of innovative solutions for water-related challenges. The conference provided a platform for dynamic discussions, inspiring stories of partnership, and a collective vision for the future of water technology.
For the morning of November 14th, the Ontario Water Consortium designed programming around three key segments, each focusing on the unique role of academia, enterprise, and municipalities. This programming was preceded by a short introduction and presentation on the Consortium’s legacy in water innovation to date presented by Executive Director, Rahim Kanji. This was followed by a presentation by on the role of Ontario academic water centres presented by Dr. Rania Hamza, Assistant Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University, on behalf of Angela Murphy, Director, Urban Water TMU.
Part 1: Academia and Municipalities
The first session began by delving into the impacts of the Ontario Water Consortium and explored the critical partnership between academia and municipalities. Featured presentations from academia included Carlos Diaz, Water Research Centre Coordinator at Lambton College, Martha Dagnew, Associate Professor at Western University, and Elsayed Elbeshbishy, Associate Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. They highlighted their academic focus in water technology, their research’s implications for municipalities, and the success stories of collaborations between academia and local governments. They also discussed engagement mechanisms and shared their visions for the future of academic-municipal collaborations in water technology.
Part 2: Enterprise and Municipalities
The second session focused on the collaboration between enterprise and municipalities. Tanush Wadhawan, Director at Dynamita North America, Clyde Ferndandes, Partner at Aquicon Water, and Sylvain Donnaz, Global Technology Leader, Biology Applications & Systems at Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions each took the stage. They introduced their core technologies and solutions, shared success stories of collaborations with municipalities, discussed the mechanisms that drive successful enterprise-municipal collaborations, and offered their visions for the future of such partnerships in the water sector.
Part 3: Bringing It All Together – Panel Discussion
The third session featured a panel discussion that united the perspectives of academia, enterprise, and municipal representatives, adding Nancy Kodousek, former Director of Water Services for the Region of Waterloo and Lou Di Gironimo, General Manager of Toronto Water, to the previous presenters to complete the panel. A constructive and inclusive dialogue ensued as panelists were asked to reflect on their rewarding collaborations, discuss common challenges, define the unique value of their work for municipalities, share ideas on improving engagement mechanisms, and envision the future of collaborative efforts in water technology. Audience participation was encouraged, and insightful questions were welcomed.
Closing Q&A and Remarks
The programming concluded with a final Q&A session, allowing attendees to seek clarification and engage with the speakers. This programming provided a platform for stakeholders in Ontario’s water technology sector to connect, share knowledge, and strengthen the bonds between academia, enterprise, and municipalities. By fostering strong connections between these three critical sectors, Ontario is poised to continue innovating and solving the pressing water challenges facing the region. As attendees departed the conference, they carried with them a sense of shared purpose and optimism for the future of water technology in the province.
We would like to thank the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association for providing a platform to advance the conversation of water innovation in the municipal sector.