Innovation Thrives in Ontario

Building upon past successes with big companies such as Trojan Technologies and ZENON Environmental and recently passing the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act, the Government of Ontario is making strides to position the province as a leader in water technology. Next week, it’s going global.

On May 17-18, the Government of Ontario will host the Global Water Leadership Summit. Last week, Water Canada joined summit participants on a pre-event field trip to several Ontario-based companies to learn more about homegrown innovation.

The group began the day with Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sandra Pupatello, who answered questions about Ontario’s strengths in the water sector and plans for the implementation of the Act.

“Our companies are working hard to market innovative, made-in-Ontario clean water solutions the world needs. It’s good for the environment and it’s good for our economy,” said Pupatello. She referenced the summit and upcoming water strategy as a examples of Ontario’s commitment to leadership in clean technologies.

From treatment to recycling to extending the life of aging infrastructure, Ontario’s technology companies proved on this day-long tour that they’re worth showcasing to the world. Here’s a brief look at the tour stops.

1. Scott Carter of the Ontario Clean Water Agency and GE Water and Process Technologies’ Graham Best led the group through the Mississauga’s Lakeview Booth Water Facility. Through the use of ozone and membrane technologies, Lakeview has a smaller footprint than traditional treatment plants. Over 190 communities in Canada use GE’s technology, first developed by ZENON.

2. “Eighty per cent of pollution in lakes and streams comes from stormwater,” Reagan Davidson, Imbrium Systems’ regional manger of Ontario, Eastern Canada, and Europe, told the group when it reached the company’s laboratory and warehouse site. Participants watched demonstrations of the company’s Jellyfish fine sediment filter, SorbtiveMEDIA and SorbtiveFILTER for dissolved phosphorus removal, and the Stormceptor unit—40,000 of which have sold worldwide.

3. In Burlington, Kontek Ecology’s Glen Russell explained the company’s move toward zero liquid discharge. “It’s where we think the market is headed,” he said. “Good corporate citizens are heading in this direction.” In addition to wastewater recovery for oil and mining projects, Kontek’s specialties also include effluent compliance, metals recovery, and water recycling. Recent acquisitions have seen the company expand capabilities to include solutions in solids dewatering, membrane technology, and biological treatments.

4. “Leaks make noise,” said VP and GM Marc Bracken at Echologics Engineering, Toronto-based developer of an acoustic-based leak detection product and service. Using this technology and software, Echologics has located leaks that have stumped utilities for as many as five years—in London, England, for example, the company found the source of a pesky leak in under two hours, potentially saving the city millions in legal fees.

Find these technologies and more at next week’s Global Water Leadership Summit.