Well…the National Conference is wrapped up, and it is officially the largest conference we’ve ever had…by far. Over 600 participants and 55 exhibitors, when we have normally been closer to 400 participants and 30 booths. Yes, Victoria is a beautiful place to go, but I know we had a big bump from all those that redirected their conference travel budget from US events to our own Canadian event. Thank you!
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Welcome to our new Board members.
- Nova Scotia - Wayne MacDonald from Cape Breton Regional Municipality replacing our past president Jesse Hulsman from the Municipality of East Hants
- Saskatchewan - Rynette Guillaume-Moore from EPCOR replacing Ryan Johnson who will be serving as a Member at Large for 2026; and
- Northwest Territories - Tim Morton representing Yellowknife, replacing Chris Greencorn.
Our 2026 president is Megan Lusty representing Nunavut.
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This month the federal government passed the federal budget. The emphasis of the budget was strengthening Canada’s economy within the changing trade landscape that has threatened Canadian manufacturing while contributing to rising costs.
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The Guide for Reporting to the National Pollutant Release Inventory: 2025-2027 is now available. Please share this document with your colleagues and organization members. The PDF is currently available only on request. Requests can be sent to Shaleen.humphreys@ec.gc.ca or inrp-npri@ec.gc.ca. A version for the web will also be available online soon. Several substances were added for the upcoming reporting year including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Reporting deadlines for 2025-27 are below.
- 2025 calendar year: The deadline is June 1, 2026.
- 2026 calendar year: The deadline is June 1, 2027.
- 2027 calendar year: The deadline is June 1, 2028
Water and wastewater facilities are required to report listed substances when released to water, land or transferred to a landfill.
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Water Canada
The University of Waterloo has unveiled Nibi, a high-performance supercomputer designed to accelerate research on environmental challenges such as flooding, drought, watershed management and climate change.
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Alberta introduced Bill 7, the Water Amendment Act, aims to modernize Alberta's water management system, which has remained largely unchanged since 1999.
The act preserves the core principles of Alberta's 120-year-old water system, including the "first-in-time, first-in-right" priority system and existing water allocations, while excluding water royalties or pricing changes. It seeks to streamline regulatory processes, enhance transparency, and facilitate easier access and sharing of water resources for farmers, ranchers, communities, and businesses, without compromising environmental protection.
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The New Brunswick government is seeking public input to enhance the Clean Water Act. Stakeholders, including industry, environmental groups, First Nations, and residents, are encouraged to contribute to the legislative reform aimed at preserving water quality for future generations. The Environment and Climate Change Minister emphasizes the importance of diverse viewpoints in this process. A dedicated consultation webpage provides details and participation methods, with a submission deadline set for November 27. Opportunities for further engagement and feedback are available through scheduled in-person and virtual sessions.
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Water Canada
A new province-wide coalition has launched with the goal of restoring and protecting Alberta’s watersheds to build a more water-secure and climate-resilient future.
The Alberta Coalition for Watershed Security, led by the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, brings together a diverse network of organizations to coordinate advocacy, build capacity and drive long-term systems change in water management across the province.
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Water Canada
The Municipality of Brighton has broken ground on a new wastewater treatment system, a major infrastructure project that will expand housing capacity, improve environmental performance and support long-term community growth.
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AWWA
Metro Vancouver in British Columbia is doing something novel. It is the first utility in North America to turn sludge into biocrude oil.
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ES&E
The Town of Virden, Manitoba, is asking residents and businesses to conserve water as consultants warn that the aquifer supplying the community’s wells is running critically low — and a transition to an older aquifer could temporarily raise arsenic concerns in the local water supply.
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ES&E
Communities across Canada are learning more about new and evolving tools at their disposal to make climate-smart infrastructure decisions using a suite of services from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC).
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ES&E
More than $50 million from the Canada Community-Building Fund will be available this year to New Brunswick communities for local infrastructure projects, while Alberta municipalities and Indigenous communities can now apply for $25 million in funding through the Drought and Flood Protection Program.
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ES&E
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sewage sludge.
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Water Canada
A McGill University research team says low-grade heat from renewable sources could one day be used to desalinate seawater, offering a potential new tool for communities facing water scarcity.
The study evaluates a technique known as thermally driven reverse osmosis (TDRO)—a piston-based system powered by low-grade heat from solar thermal, geothermal heat and other sources of renewable energy to produce fresh water. While earlier research suggested the approach was technically feasible, the McGill-led team is the first to examine its thermodynamic limits.
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Water Canada
People walking, running or launching boats along Lake Erie’s shorelines may have noticed more exposed beach and rock than in recent years — a subtle sign the lake has dipped below its long-term water level average after a period of record-highs.
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