1. Research examines presence of pharmaceuticals in Saskatoon’s wastewater
For the first time, research was conducted to examine the presence of pharmaceuticals in both Saskatoon’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and the South Saskatchewan River. The study was led by University of Saskatchewan’s principal investigator Dr. Markus Brinkmann and City of Saskatoon’s WWTP manager Mike Sadowski. Read the full article here.
2. New maps provide snapshot of wastewater-based epidemiology in Canada
Researchers in Canada are monitoring SARS-CoV-2 (and variants of the virus) in community wastewater samples to increase our understanding of community spread. The COVID-19 Wastewater Coalition developed two maps that can help us understand where wastewater-based epidemiology is already underway and/or being applied in Canada. Read the full story here.
3. New partnership to showcase facility that recovers energy from wastewater treatment
Metro Vancouver and FortisBC Energy Inc. will be showcasing a new facility that aims to recover more energy from liquid wastewater treatment. The new Lulu Island Renewable Natural Gas Facility at Metro Vancouver’s Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment Plant site in Richmond, B.C. now allows the unused biogas to be cleaned, stored, and sold to purchasers such as FortisBC as Renewable Natural Gas. Read the full story here.
4. Project to detect COVID-19 through wastewater expands across Nova Scotia
Dalhousie University is leading the initiative that’s intended to develop a wastewater surveillance approach for SARS-CoV-2 throughout Nova Scotia. The lead investigators—Graham Gagnon and Amina Stoddart from Dal’s Faculty of Engineering—are collaborating with co-investigators at Halifax Water, Acadia University, Cape Breton University, and St. Francis Xavier University. Read the full story here.
5. Canada Infrastructure Bank invests in raw wastewater energy transfer project
The Canada Infrastructure Bank reached financial close on a raw wastewater energy transfer project located at Toronto Western Hospital in October 2021. “We are proud to partner with UHN and private-sector partners on our first public building retrofit investment,” said Ehren Cory, CEO of CIB. “The project will dramatically lower GHG emissions at the hospital while helping UHN meet its climate change commitments.” Read the full story here.
