For over 35 years, we have described our Window on Ottawa as our “premier event”.  While we hosted a series of specialty conferences, our main purpose for existence was to engage the federal government and to advocate for our sector.  This event did just that. Once each year, we could gather key policy makers from the many federal departments and agencies, hear from them directly, and be able to ask questions to those in the know.

A reminder to members to plan to attend the joint Water Canada Summit being hosted in conjunction with our Window on Ottawa. This collaboration means we’ll be bringing you an event that features not only the federal updates and panel discussions you expect from the Window on Ottawa, but also a broader look at water issues across Canada, with a holistic approach to water resource management.

The Board of Directors of the CWWA, at its meeting of March 28th, 2023, adopted a Position Statement, and the accompanying Position Paper, concerning “Flushability”.

For over 10 years, CWWA has been working with wastewater partners to address the negative impacts of so-called ‘flushable’ wipes. We have taken our fight from a local effort to a North American attempt to an international level and now back again.

With an expected 400 delegates the National Water and Wastewater Conference has become THE Utility Leadership event in Canada.

We are excited to launch registration for the NWWC 2023 in Niagara Falls.

The CWWA made a full submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development’s Study on Freshwater in May of 2021. That first letter focused on the potential for an effort to coordinate the multiple federal departments and agencies that address water and supported a consolidation of the databases for shared access and use.

This second submission highlighted the importance and potential of natural infrastructure and that this has emerged as a growing option for our sector. This submission specifically highlighted the risks to municipalities when selecting new and innovative methods of managing water and wastewater. The Association specifically would like to see the federal government take leadership in developing some kind of protection for municipalities who take a financial risk on new or emerging technologies – especially when these technologies are advancing green and sustainable methods.

Are you seeking inspiration and new ideas for your work in the water industry? Look no further than ACE23, the Annual Conference and Exposition hosted by the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Taking place from June 11-14 in Toronto, ACE23 is the premier event for water professionals across North America and beyond.

Health Canada published a draft objective for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water. The interim drinking water objective proposed is 30 nanograms per litre (ng/L) for a sum of PFAS.  

On March 28, 2023, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, tabled the federal government’s 2023 budget (Budget 2023—A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future) in the House of Commons.

The Minister of Health has finalized Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality: Understanding and Managing Risks in Recreational Waters. The technical document for these guidelines is available at:

While not directly applicable to our members, wastewater treatment facilities can impact the quality of recreational water, and wastewater facilities should take these guidelines into account when making treatment decisions.

On March 22, 2023, AAFC released a What We Heard Report on plans to meet Canada’s fertilizer emissions reduction target of 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. The consultation on the controversial proposals elicited over 2,000 submissions between March and October 2022.

Edmonton Journal

A chemical meant to stop the flow of lead from aging pipes into Edmonton homes has started making its way through the city’s water system.

AP News

Canada has pledged a significant increase in spending to improve water quality in the Great Lakes following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration also has boosted funding for the shared waters.

Water Canada

The City’s Environment and Climate Change Committee has approved that the City enter into an agreement with Theia Partners and Envari Holdings to connect a Wastewater Energy Transfer (WET) system to the City’s sewer system. The WET system will capture thermal energy from wastewater for low carbon heating and cooling for the planned Dream LeBreton development. As the City’s first such connection, this will be a pilot project.

Water Canada

The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, has released the new Drinking Water Safety Action Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador.

The new long-term plan focuses on improving all types of drinking water systems in Newfoundland and Labrador, including semi-public and private drinking water systems.

California will provide 100% of the water requested by cities and farms for the first time in years thanks to winter storms that filled reservoirs and runoff from a record snowpack, regulators announced Thursday.