Advancing PFAS Detection and Treatment in Canadian Water Systems: Research Collaboration Improves Monitoring and Removal
On June 9, 2026, the Ontario Water Consortium hosted an Innovation Showcase webinar highlighting recent progress from a collaborative research initiative focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Canadian water systems. The project brings together researchers, utilities, and technology providers to improve understanding of PFAS occurrence, transformation, and treatment in drinking water and wastewater systems. Led by Professor Scott Hopkins at the University of Waterloo and Professor Franco Berruti at Western University, the initiative is supported by an NSERC [...]
Beyond Biogas: From Demonstration to Deployment in the Waste to Chemicals Alliance
On June 2, 2026, the Ontario Water Consortium hosted an Innovation Showcase webinar highlighting continued progress from the Waste to Chemicals (W2C) Alliance, building on earlier work introduced in 2024 through “Going Beyond Biogas” and a 2025 progress webinar that first shared results from the initiative’s long-term demonstration phase. The latest session focused on how the Alliance is now moving from demonstration toward deployment, as anaerobic digestion is increasingly repositioned from a conventional energy recovery process to a platform for [...]
From Microscopes to Machine Learning: AI-Driven Wastewater Monitoring Through McMaster–Veolia Collaboration
Wastewater treatment depends on the stability of complex microbial communities that drive biological processes and ensure effective solids separation. At the centre of this system is the balance between filamentous bacteria and floc-forming bacteria within activated sludge. When this balance is disrupted, plants can experience sludge bulking, reduced settling efficiency, and declining treatment performance. Traditionally, operators rely on indicators such as sludge volume index (SVI) and manual microscopic examination to assess sludge health. While widely used, these methods are delayed, [...]