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 [...]
In October 2024, the Ontario Water Consortium published “Going Beyond Biogas”, introducing the Waste to Chemicals Alliance - a multi-partner collaboration exploring how anaerobic digestion (AD) can evolve from a conventional energy recovery tool into a platform for producing high-value chemicals from organic waste. On June 10, 2025, OWC hosted the Alliance’s first public webinar [...]
Ontario’s greenhouse sector, anchored in Essex County, is a global leader in greenhouse vegetable production. Yet with this success comes increasing responsibility. On March 27, 2025, the Ontario Water Consortium (OWC), in partnership with the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG), University of Windsor Agriculture UWindsor (AgUWin), and the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), [...]
Waterborne pathogens pose significant risks to public health, from drinking water contamination to recreational waterborne diseases. Addressing these risks requires cutting-edge research and strong industry partnerships, precisely what Dr. David McCarthy, the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Waterborne Pathogens: Surveillance, Prediction, and Mitigation at the University of Guelph, aims to accomplish. With a distinguished [...]
Municipal water and wastewater systems are fundamental to our cities, crucial for public health, environmental sustainability, and economic prosperity. However, these systems face growing challenges from aging infrastructure, climate change, cyber threats, and evolving regulatory environments. To combat the increasing vulnerabilities and threats against our already fragile systems, we require an innovative and strategic approach [...]
