This July, the Ontario Water Consortium hosted its Innovation Showcase Summer Series, a three-part webinar program highlighting applied research and emerging technologies across Ontario’s water sector. With close to 200 registrants, the series convened municipal leaders, researchers, engineers, and technology developers around practical solutions to the complex challenges facing water infrastructure, operations, and climate resilience.
The series opened with a spotlight on flood forecasting, an increasingly urgent need as climate-driven hydrological extremes grow more common across Ontario. Dr. Andre Erler, Senior Climate Scientist at Aquanty, introduced HydroSphereAI, a neural network-based hydrological forecasting platform that delivers high-resolution streamflow predictions, even in ungauged basins. Built on long short-term memory (LSTM) models and trained on data from thousands of North American catchments, HydroSphereAI integrates real-time observations and weather forecasts to support adaptive water management.
Already deployed in collaboration with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and conservation authorities, the system is helping improve flood preparedness and optimize reservoir operations ahead of the 2025 spring freshet. With reliable forecasting in areas lacking ground-based gauges, HydroSphereAI demonstrates how machine learning can bridge infrastructure gaps and strengthen climate resilience across Ontario watersheds.
The second session shifted the conversation to digital transformation in utility operations. Tanush Wadhawan, Director at Dynamita North America, explored the growing role of Digital Twins in the One Water industry. Using tools like WEST and SUMO, utilities can create virtual representations of water and wastewater systems to simulate performance, test control strategies, and inform decision-making in real time.
Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, Wadhawan emphasized that digital twin adoption can begin with site-specific process models and evolve over time. Dynamita’s open, modular platform supports integration with diverse instrumentation, automation systems, and AI-driven tools, enabling facilities of all sizes to enhance operations, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance. The session underscored the value of collaboration between modelers, operators, and engineers to ensure digital tools align with the realities of each site.
The series concluded with a look at how simple, low-energy systems can help meet evolving treatment regulations while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Wudneh Shewa, Technical Solutions and Project Manager at Bishop Water, presented findings from a collaborative research project with Western University on optimizing BioCord® Reactors for partial denitrification and nitrous oxide (N₂O) mitigation.
The fixed-film technology enables enhanced nitrogen removal in lagoons and other decentralized systems. By adjusting carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios and applying biofilm scouring, the study achieved up to 60% nitrite accumulation while reducing N₂O emissions to just 3% of denitrified nitrogen. These findings offer a viable pathway for rural and small communities to meet discharge limits and climate targets using affordable, scalable solutions.
Throughout the series, a common thread emerged: Ontario’s water sector is rapidly advancing through targeted innovation and partnership. Whether through predictive modeling, digital infrastructure, or biologically optimized treatment, each session showcased approaches that are both technically rigorous and practically grounded, hallmarks of OWC’s commitment to accelerating real-world impact.
With strong engagement across the water ecosystem and a growing appetite for collaborative problem-solving, the Summer Series reinforced Ontario’s position as a hub for water innovation.
Watch the Webinars
Recordings from the Summer Series are now available:
- HydroSphereAI: Machine Learning-Driven Hydrological Forecasting in a Changing Climate
Presented by Dr. Andre Erler, Senior Climate Scientist, Aquanty
Watch the recording › - From Digital Models to Digital Twins: Developing Solutions for the One Water Industry
Presented by Tanush Wadhawan, Director, Dynamita North America
Watch the recording › - Achieving Partial Denitrification with BioCord® Reactors while Mitigating Nitrous Oxide Emissions
Presented by Dr. Wudneh Shewa, Technical Solutions and Project Manager, Bishop Water
Watch the recording ›
What’s Next
Building on the success of the Summer Series, OWC will launch its Academic Innovation Showcase Series this fall, spotlighting research from its post-secondary partners and exploring new pathways to R&D and commercialization.
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