The full report can be found in English and French here:

National Infrastructure Assessment Report 1 |canadianinfrastructurecouncil

With its focus on addressing the national housing crisis, the federal government established the Canadian Infrastructure Council early in 2025 to create a National Infrastructure Assessment. After months of collecting data on infrastructure inventories, population forecasts and climate considerations, and conducting interviews with experts, including the CWWA, this council of sector experts has prepared an extensive report. The report focuses on the infrastructure investments that will be required to support the housing targets being set in place – what they call “housing-enabling infrastructure”.

The report recognizes the great importance of supporting infrastructure stating:

This first NIA report makes it clear that we can’t build more homes without the essential infrastructure to support them — including water and wastewater systems, waste management, and public transit and active transportation —and that strengthening the resilience of these systems is key to supporting healthy, livable communities.

The report then makes recommendations the Council hopes will direct the federal government in policy development to lead programs for the next 25 years:

Meeting Canada’s housing and infrastructure demands over the next 25 years will require a transformative shift in how infrastructure is planned, maintained, financed, and delivered across the country. This report is intended to serve as a resource for governments and infrastructure owners, operators, and investors to support informed and strategic infrastructure planning and decision-making.

Additional information about the Canada Infrastructure Council, its members, and the additional supporting reports can all be found on the CIC website:

Canadian Infrastructure Council

• Application of Biological Processes for Treating Amine-Rich Wastewater from Carbon Capture Facilities – Sepideh Hashemi Safaei
• Realtime Prediction and Control of Water Treatment Plants Using Reinforcement Learning – Haseeb Shah
• Microwave Sensing Technology for Monitoring Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Water – A Preliminary Study – Shenxi Guo
• Facile Growth of AG-based MAFs on TFC RO Membranes: Enhancing Antibacterial Activity and Biofouling Resistance - Dr. Arash Mollahosseini
• Thermally Stable Reverse Osmosis (RO) Thin Film Composite Membranes Enhanced with Carbon Nitride Nanosheets – S. Fatemeh Seyedpour

Although a difficult decision with all posters discussing such innovative research truly paving the way forward for new technology in the water/wastewater industry, this years winner was none other than Sepideh Hashemi Safaei from the University of Regina on her research of biological processes, specifically Anammox, for treating amine-rich wastewater from carbon capture facilities. Sepideh will be representing our section at ACE26 as she competes with the other sections for the Fresh Ideas Poster Session! Congratulations Sepideh and wish you the best of luck! Thanks to all of the other contestants for both your submissions and your contributions to the water industry!

L-R Andrea Odegard-Begay AWWA Vice President, Abu Waraich, Walid Khoury WEF Board of Trustees, Stephanie Young UofR, Sapideh Hashem UofR, Gluzen Ramos Ong AWWA YP Advisor, Robert Haller CWWA, Hashanth Sasitharan.

Aiyaan’s project models the rate of evaporation using deep neural networks to predict how climate change could impact evaporation in Lake Winnipeg’s southern basin. His findings suggest evaporation could increase by approximately 30% by the end of the century — a projection with significant implications for ecosystems, irrigation, fisheries, and hydropower across the globe.

This past spring, Canadian students in Grades 10 to 12 submitted innovative research projects aimed at tackling major water-related challenges. Following an initial selection at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, three national finalists were chosen:

• Out of the Deep End: Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change in Lake Winnipeg’s Evaporation with Neural Networks – Aiyaan Faisal
• Wave to the Future: Harnessing Wave Energy for Sustainable Water Desalination – Aaron Dias and Esam Taher
• From Asphalt to Estuary: Highway-Linked Microplastic Intrusion in Salt Marsh Sediments – Willow Pass

After rigorous evaluation based on project relevance, creativity, methodology, and subject knowledge, Aiyaan was selected as the national winner by a panel of expert judges.

He will travel to Stockholm to participate in the global SJWP competition from August 24th to 28th, held during World Water Week. The event brings together young scientists from nearly 40 countries to share their work, attend ceremonies, and connect with international peers and Swedish royalty.

Aiyaan’s participation is made possible through the support of the five Canadian Water Environment Federation (WEF) member associations.

The Canadian SJWP organizing team is also seeking volunteer judges for future competitions. Interested individuals can contact Natalie Wilson at Natalie.wilson@aecom.com.

Key Takeaways:

• Definition and Purpose: Rules of origin establish the criteria to determine the national source of a product, ensuring that only goods originating within CUSMA countries benefit from reduced tariffs.(Export Development Canada)

• Sector-Specific Criteria: CUSMA's rules of origin vary by industry. For instance, automotive products may require a specific percentage of regional value content, while textiles might have different requirements.(Export Development Canada)

• Compliance Importance: Proper adherence to these rules is essential. Non-compliance can lead to penalties, delays, or loss of preferential tariff benefits.(Export Development Canada)

• Documentation: Accurate and thorough documentation is vital. Exporters should maintain detailed records proving the origin of their products to satisfy customs requirements.

• Seeking Guidance: Given the complexities, businesses are encouraged to consult with trade experts or legal advisors to ensure compliance and to understand the specific rules applicable to their products.

For a more in-depth understanding, you can read the full article on EDC's website: Complying with CUSMA: What Canadian exporters, importers need to know.(Export Development Canada)

Larson Aquatic Research Scholarship (LARS)

Pursing a Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jacob Steele has been awarded the Larson Aquatic Research Scholarship (LARS) from AWWA’s Water Equation. Jacob works as a part-time research analyst to support himself while in school and says that the scholarship will allow him to spend more time studying and less time working. 

“Outside of school, I am also a national-level sprint flatwater kayaker training for the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2024 Olympics. I’ve previously raced at the World University Championships and the Pan American Games and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. This involves training 20+ hours per week on top of my school and work, so any less time I need to spend working part-time during my degree will be put to good use.”

Stantec Scholarship

Karl Zimmerman is the 2023 recipient of the Stantec Scholarship and a candidate for PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Karl attended ACE23 and shared his experiences with Canada’s First Nations communities and his involvement with water researchers in southern Madagascar with the sponsors and scholarship recipients at the annual scholarship breakfast. Karl says, “In the final year of my PhD, I am visiting NGOs around the world to gain diverse perspectives on the social/ community participation of sustainable water solutions. Following my graduation (**this is the five-year career horizon), I hope to join consulting engineering towards building resilient water infrastructure, but also to understand how the water sector is addressing issues like aging water infrastructure and approaching to the next paradigm of semi-/ decentralized water systems.”

Thomas R. Camp Scholarship

A 3rd year PhD candidate at University of Toronto, Mennatallah Alnahas is the recipient of the 2023 Thomas R. Camp Scholarship awarded by CDM Smith. Menna serves as the President of the student chapter for the Ontario Water Works Association (AWWA Section) and is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Drinking Water Research Group at the University of Toronto. She says that she specializes in environmental engineering and her research focuses on developing risk assessment frameworks, monitoring tools and treatment technologies for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the context of drinking water. After graduation she hopes to join a consulting firm to contribute to the water community.

American Water Scholarship

The 2023 American Water Scholarship has been awarded to Noor Tamim, an Engineer in Training attending Western University in London, Ontario. He is working to obtain his Master of Engineering Science in Environmental Engineering and is also Vice-President of the AWWA/WEF student chapter at Western University and a research assistant collecting field and lab data and performed statistical and quantitative analysis to interpret data and optimize experiments. Noor likes the idea of working for a small engineering firm where he can continue to learn new skills and have an opportunity for growth.

An innovative blend of city building, resource management, adventure, and survival genres, Water 2050 invites players to build a sustainable water future using real-world technology and problem-solving. It’s perfect for high-school and college students, career days, and other events where the goal is to introduce the audience to the challenges of water sustainability and management for future impact.

Water 2050 was inspired by the Brave Blue World Netflix documentary, which was also sponsored by WEF. The game was debuted at the first-ever Water Film Festival in New York City, which was held in conjunction with UN Water Week 2023.

The game can be downloaded from Apple, Google Play, Steam, and other app stores and game sites, as well as directly from water2050.com. Bulk purchases are available on water2050.com

What is the Transformative Water Leadership Program?

The TWLA is where the next generation of water utility leaders focus on the foundations of sustainable community leadership: how to integrate social, environmental, and financial concerns into important decisions about water utilities.

This new AWWA 10-month program addresses leadership for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater management, and water reuse. Participants will learn to balance short- and long-term priorities while creating value for all water stakeholders through two in-person sessions, six virtual sessions, and four small group meetings. Attendees will also design and complete a project based on sustainable community leadership principles learned at TWLA. This project will address a problem, need, or opportunity in their organization or community.

How is the TWLA different than other Leadership Programs?

TWLA will cultivate purpose-driven water leadership by:

• Expanding diversity in the pool of qualified utility staff and leadership, to build a stronger water workforce.
• Fostering community-first utilities by instilling in leaders an awareness of, and abiding commitment to, everything it really takes to help communities thrive, by supporting a healthy environment.
• Clarifying a future vision. Participants will find and define their leadership objectives and turn them into actionable plans.
• Instilling a philosophy of multidimensional decision making through integration of social, environmental, and financial concerns into important choices water utilities make.

Who is eligible and how do they apply?

We are looking for those that show leadership potential that preferably have:

• 3-10 years of full-time work experience, including at least two years of water-related work (preferably at a water utility).
• Supervisory and/or Management Experience. Past experience supervising people in their current professional, volunteer, or community work. Or their experience may include management of projects, programs, committees, and contractors.
• Access to a computer and broadband internet.

COST:  AWWA has obtained funding for the first year of this program. WCS AWWA will provide additional funding for travel costs (hotel and flight) that are not covered by AWWA for two in-person sessions. So, it is virtually free for attendees this first year.

DEADLINE:  Applications are due by Thursday, September 15th, 2022.
October 1st, 2022: Applicants will be notified whether they have been accepted into the program.

Click here for more information or to apply, or forward this to Young Professionals in your organization.

Without the social events we typically have throughout the year, we felt it was important to catch up with our current President to learn more about him, his volunteer work with WCW, what’s on the horizon for our association and how things are progressing for WCW22 in Calgary next year.

This has been a really tumultuous time for everyone, it’s important to pause, take a moment and check-in with one another. With that in mind, how are you doing?

Personally, it’s been a mixed bag for me.  I’ve learned to enjoy working from home, had one daughter married in October, another planning a wedding in February, and had a grandson born. Happy times to be sure. That said, like everyone else, I’m personally done with the COVID thing.  It has been wearisome being on the roller coaster of different waves, changing rules, and the uncertainty that is inherent in trying to plan anything these days.

You took over as WCW President in September, can you share more about your journey with our association for our members that might not be familiar with you or how you got involved?

I’ve been a member of at least one, and sometimes several, of the WCW constituent organizations for well over 20 years. Conference attendance, networking events, and regular reading of our magazine articles have benefited myself and my professional career greatly. In 2013, Jeff O’Driscoll (WCW President 2015) approached me about serving as the WCW Board Treasurer, which I did for 6 years before entering the Presidency track that has landed me here today.

Everyone has full plates and it seems like our schedules are full of commitments coming from everywhere. Why is volunteering for our association so important to you?

I was taught from an early age about “giving back”. Given the benefit I have received by my association with WCW, much of that through the efforts of volunteers, I felt both obligated and privileged to step up and do my part when my personal situation allowed.

Are you able to share a story about how a relationship that was formed through WCW has been beneficial to you?

There are too many to name without missing somebody. Quite frankly I’m not a naturally sociable person, but there have been so many board members, staff, and general WCW members that have reached out to me and made me feel welcome and that my efforts matter.  It has been very gratifying, and very enjoyable to work and socialize with them over the years.

Can you share an update about WCW right now? What are you working towards? What are some roadblocks and challenges you are facing?

The WCW Board met twice in late November and early December to assess and prioritize our current strategic plan. The Board felt strongly that given the turmoil over the last 2 years, we really needed to:

• Prioritize our members having a positive experience for our upcoming annual conference
• Concentrate on planning some new in-person networking opportunities, and
• Optimize our education offerings given what we’ve learned from offering on-line content for the last 2 years.

Our challenge will be winning the confidence of both our members, and their employers, of the benefit of in-person events, while minimizing risk and any apprehension they may have.

The opportunity to gather at our Annual Conference and Exhibition hasn’t happened since 2019. The planning for WCW22 in Calgary next September is already underway. What are you looking forward to with the return of our conference? How is the Conference Planning Committee responding to the challenging of bringing our event “back to life”?

In a nutshell, what I’m looking forward to is an in-person event.  I’ve had the opportunity, lately, of meeting with more people in-person, both personally and professionally, and I realized how much I really missed that type of interaction!

As for the conference itself, our two-year in-person hiatus has been an opportunity to revitalize the schedule and some of our events. This was already underway pre-COVID, but now we’ve realized the importance of simplifying and refreshing some of our events. We’ve shaken up the schedule a bit to keep the conference venue a bit more intimate and personal.  We hope our membership responds positively to some of the changes we’ve made and that they also recognize the value of the tried and true events that we’ll continue to offer.

You’ve presented at previous WCW Conferences as well as held the position of the Technical Program Chair for WCW16. In your opinion, what are the benefits of presenting and do you have any tips for people nervous about submitting to present?

Presenting can be nerve racking for some.  What if I forget something?  What if somebody asks a question I can’t answer?

Presenting is a growth opportunity, both personally and professionally.  Submitting an abstract may increase the chances that your employer will approve and fund your attendance.  Presenting may create professional opportunities for you.  Preparing presentations always allows you to learn more about your topic as you try to find ways to help your audience understand and appreciate what you’re presenting.  Presenting improves personal confidence.

Something to consider if you’re nervous is doing a presentation jointly with a co-worker, client or peer.  Somebody to “hold hands with”, at least metaphorically.  Another is considering Toastmasters and using your presentation as a project, I personally benefited from my time in that excellent program.

People want to hear what you have to say, they come to the conference to be educated and you’re able to do that!

Work with other experts in your field to develop and review educational and technical materials that AWWA members depend on. Volunteers often mention how volunteering has allowed them to network with experts in their industry (both in-person at AWWA conferences and via e-mail and conference calls) which assists them in professional development. Our volunteers also express that volunteering with AWWA has given them the satisfaction of knowing they are contributing positively to the water industry.

View the list of Standards Committees needing volunteers here. In addition to the committees identified in the document, the following committees could also use volunteers:

• Cross Connection Control
• Distribution Operations & Maintenance
• Fire Protection
• Operator Involvement
• Sustainable Infrastructure
• Finance, Accounting & Management Controls
• Health, Safety, & Environment
• Strategic Management Practices
• Treatment Plant Operations & Maintenance

If you are a water-quality professional interested in advancing your career, you need relevant tools that help you stay ahead of the curve.

Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals will help you master the concepts and practices you need to be confident on exam day and throughout your career.

This up-to-date and peer-reviewed training resource is designed to help you prepare for certification exams and on-the-job success through expert content, real-world knowledge, exam-style review questions, interactive online content, and more.

Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals Training Manuals

• Master Wastewater Treatment Operator exam topics and ABC Need-to-Know Criteria
• Assess your knowledge with 1000+ chapter-ending practice questions
• Enhance your math skills with extensive problem exercises and step-by-step solution sets
• Reinforce comprehension with in-depth chapter level summaries
• Gain a clear understanding of the operation and maintenance of WRRFs

ORDER Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals I - Liquid Treatment
ORDER Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals II - Solids Handling and Support Systems

Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals Operator Certification Study Questions

• Test your knowledge with hundreds of questions and answers
• Easily measure and improve your knowledge of liquid treatment fundamentals and solids handling and support systems
• Prepare for the first three levels of certification examinations with robust coverage of Wastewater Treatment Operator exam topics and ABC Need-to-Know Criteria

ORDER Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals I—Liquid Treatment Operator Certification Study Questions
ORDER Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals II—Solids Handling and Support Systems Operator Certification Study Questions

Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals Online Course and Exam

• Practice for exam day with simulated exam questions matching the format, tone, and difficulty of the real exam
• Train as much as you want with unlimited chapter level practice tests
• Earn 6 CEUs (60 contact hours)

ORDER Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals I - Liquid Treatment Online Course

Water Environment Federation Members get better rates.
WEF aims to provide our members with the latest water quality research and technology through our publications, conferences, and other training opportunities.