Following another major watermain break in Calgary, this is the question that every utility in Canada is asking (or certainly should be asking). Could it happen to us? The answer of course is “yes”, and it did happen in communities all across Canada. At our national conference (for the last two years) we have looked at critical infrastructure failures in cities from coast to coast to coast. And as water professionals, we can learn from other people’s disasters…we shouldn’t have to wait until it happens in our own community to get the wake up call. The focus of our CWWA Utility Leadership Committee this year is “Resiliency”. How do we reduce the risk of failures, and when we do have failures, how do we mitigate the impact and recovery faster? There will be guidance and presentations coming from this very active committee soon.
Meanwhile, what are we learning from Calgary?
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Share your expertise and experiences at the NWWC 2026 this November 1 - 4 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Submit your proposal by March 31, 2026
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Don't forget to send us your photos wearing your CWWA hat around the country and around the world.
Meet our next generation of CWWA enthusiasts - Simon Gora-Sinclair. He's 5 and loves math and science (but especially math).
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Health Canada has published a proposed guideline for HAAs in drinking water. A maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) of 0.08 mg/L (80 µg/L) is proposed for total haloacetic acids (HAAs: measured as HAA6) in drinking water. The MAC is based on a locational running annual average of a minimum of quarterly samples taken in the distribution system. If the locational running annual average for bromochloroacetic acid (BCAA) is measured at levels equal to or greater than 10 µg/L, steps should be taken to reduce brominated-HAA formation.
The deadline for comments is March 13. CWWA's Drinking Water Quality Committee is reviewing the Guideline and will submit comments if there are any concerns. If you have comments on the Guideline please reach out to kparisien@cwwa.ca
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CAWQ has launched a newsletter to share community news, research highlights, and updates on CAWQ events and initiatives.
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IWA’s World Water Congress & Exhibition
Glasgow, Scotland
October 4-8, 2026
Do you remember when we hosted the IWWA WWC&E in Toronto in 2024?
- 7,000 attendees from 109 countries
- including 70 Canadian exhibitors
Can we take this momentum to Scotland?
The Government of Alberta has announced its intention to “make it easier for communities,
farmers, ranchers and businesses to use and share water”. Bill 7, which will amend the province’s Water Act, aims “to streamline the process of water licensing” and “amendments would allow the Alberta government to set timelines on how long it would take to review applications from farmers, ranchers and other groups so they’re able to effectively use their water”. “Alternative water sources, like rainwater from rooftops or reused wastewater, would also become easier to use under Bill 7”.
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Health Canada has published a new final guideline for radiological parameters in drinking water. It establishes maximum acceptable concentrations for three radionuclides (lead-210, radium- 226, and radium-228) in drinking water. Water suppliers must screen samples using gross alpha and beta radiation tests. If screening levels are exceeded, specific radionuclide analysis is required. Treatment may be necessary when concentrations exceed guidelines. Operators need training for handling radioactive residuals from treatment processes.
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ES&E Magazine
The federal government and Ontario have signed a new cooperation agreement aimed at accelerating major infrastructure projects by streamlining environmental and impact assessments, as Canada moves to diversify its economy amid growing global trade uncertainty.
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ES&E Magazine
Major federal, provincial, and municipal investments are flowing across Canada, with a significant boost announced for the Village of Lytton, British Columbia, as it continues to rebuild its wastewater treatment plant after a devastating 2021 wildfire.
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Water Canada
The federal government is adding more than $100 million to its ongoing effort to address PFAS contamination linked to historic military activities at 22 Wing/CFB North Bay.
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Water Canada
Peel Region has begun updating its Water and Wastewater Master Plan to guide long-term infrastructure planning for its lake-based systems, with public consultation underway this December.
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Water Canada
Southwestern British Columbia continues to deal with high water levels and flood-related impacts after heavy rainfall over the past week. Flood warnings remain in Fraser Valley and South Coast, while municipalities monitor rivers, stormwater systems and critical infrastructure.
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ES&E Magazine
The City of North Bay, Ontario, and the Department of National Defence (DND) have reached an agreement that could see up to $8.2 million for the design of treatment upgrades and a six-month pilot program to test PFAS treatment options at the North Bay Drinking Water Treatment Plant over a two-year term.
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ES&E Magazine
The federal government is extending financial support for efforts to address per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) detected near Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Bagotville, committing a total of approximately $45.4 million to maintain temporary water mitigation measures in Saguenay, Quebec.
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ES&E Magazine
Crews working on the new headworks buildings at the North End Wastewater Treatment Plant in Winnipeg accidentally damaged a watermain last week.
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ES&E Magazine
Health Canada has updated its technical guidance on radionuclides in drinking water, setting maximum acceptable concentrations (MACs) for the radioactive substances most commonly found in Canadian water supplies and outlining monitoring, treatment, and risk management expectations for utilities.
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Science Times
Disaster-resistant cities are designed to withstand natural hazards while protecting millions of residents through engineering and planning. Seismic dampers, flood barriers, and modular housing reduce the impact of earthquakes, typhoons, and hurricanes, while green infrastructure absorbs stormwater and reduces urban flooding. Resilient urban design also prioritizes energy-efficient, adaptable structures, integrating predictive technologies to anticipate hazards before they strike.
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Water Canada
The Department of National Defence (DND) is providing an additional $29.9 million to support a temporary water treatment solution addressing PFAS contamination in Saguenay, bringing total federal funding for the project to about $45.4 million.
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Chemical & Engineering News
The US Environmental Protection Agency begins 2026 amid a move to rescind drinking water standards for four types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), along with other ongoing actions on these “forever chemicals.” Policy and regulation experts tell C&EN that we may see less new federal action on PFAS this year but that litigation and state action show no signs of slowing down.
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ES&E Magazine
For the second time in less than two years, the City of Calgary has activated its Municipal Emergency Plan and opened the Emergency Operations Centre as crews respond to a major rupture in the Bearspaw South feeder main, east of the Sarcee Trail and 16 Avenue N.W. interchange.
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ES&E Magazine
The Canada Water Agency is spending $4.5 million for 39 new freshwater projects that range from efforts to combat runoff pollution through rain gardens on Vancouver Island to creating an open data platform for groundwater quality and level data in Toronto.
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CWWA welcomes two new members this month
 The City of Clarence-Rockland's water and sewer systems include a plant for the treatment and distribution of drinking water, as well as a sewage treatment basin and a sewage disposal site for the treatment of wastewater.
WaterSMART Solutions, now a Hazen company, has spent decades supporting Albertans with water resource planning and collaboration. Our legacy is built on watershed modelling, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning, and our work is trusted by municipalities, regulators, and industry partners.
Acquired by Hazen in 2024, we now leverage industry-leading design and project delivery capabilities to turn our Water Resilience Roadmaps into reality. Hazen employs more than 2,300 water industry professionals across more than 80 international offices and is known worldwide for delivering the highest-quality technical work available anywhere.
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24
Mar 2026
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Charlotte Convention Center | Charlotte, North Carolina
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The National Water & Wastewater Conference
