When Dr. Sonia Hassini first entered civil engineering, she imagined a future in construction. But as she moved deeper into her studies in Tunisia, her attention shifted toward the systems that make cities livable, especially the fragile and often overlooked networks that manage water. Exposure to hydraulics, water distribution challenges, watershed analysis, and water scarcity [...]
The Ontario Water Consortium has submitted a proposal for funding to establish the Ontario Water Advantage Program (OWAP). This initiative is designed to accelerate the commercialization and adoption of Ontario-made solutions to build resilient and sustainable water systems, supporting national priorities while strengthening infrastructure and driving economic growth. Why OWAP, and Why Now Canada’s water [...]
This fall, the Ontario Water Consortium hosted its Innovation Showcase Fall Series, a three-part webinar program highlighting applied research and interdisciplinary collaboration across Ontario’s water sector. With over 200 registrants from academia, government, and industry, the series showcased emerging tools and partnerships advancing sustainable water monitoring, treatment, and ecosystem restoration. The series opened with a [...]
On September 16, 2025, Urban Water TMU hosted the PFAS Management in Canada Workshop, bringing together government representatives, municipal operators, researchers, consultants, technology providers, non-profits, and academics to address the pressing challenges posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Canadian water systems and biosolids. The workshop combined keynote presentations, panels, and interactive roundtable discussions [...]
When emerging technologies meet the complexity of the water sector, even the most promising innovations can struggle to find traction. This was the case for Independent Robotics (IR), a deep tech company aiming to bring its AI-powered Insight Engine and Aqua 2 autonomous robotic platform into the water space. While the technologies had clear potential [...]
The Challenge of Aging Infrastructure Across Ontario and beyond, municipalities face a pressing challenge: managing aging water infrastructure, particularly asbestos cement (AC) pipe. AC water distribution mains, which make up about 11% of North America’s water network, fail at an average rate of 10.3 breaks per 100 miles each year. With more than 40% of [...]
Dr. Hamed Ibrahim is advancing a transformative vision for how we understand and manage water in the 21st century. An Assistant Professor in Civil & Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto since January 2024, his research brings together advanced computational methods, a deep understanding of hydrological systems, and a focus on applied impact, particularly [...]
After nearly a decade away, Dr. Maricor Arlos returned to the University of Waterloo in 2024, not to retrace her steps but to reshape the path forward. A Waterloo graduate three times over, Arlos had spent years conducting research in Switzerland and Alberta, gaining a sharper, more global perspective on water management, stakeholder priorities, and [...]
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. [...]
On June 5, 2025, the Ontario Water Consortium (OWC) hosted the second in a series of webinars exploring the progress of a major collaborative research initiative focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Canadian water systems. Co-led by Professor Scott Hopkins (University of Waterloo) and Professor Franco Berruti (Western University), the project exemplifies how [...]
