Pacific Water Research Centre
8888 University Drive V5A 1S6 Burnaby, BC, Canada

"Flood, drought & rising sea levels threaten sanitation systems from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants. Everyone must have sustainable sanitation that can withstand climate change & keep communities healthy & functioning." #WorldToiletDay #WorldToiletDay2020

"When the Lethbridge resident heard that the provincial government had rescinded a decades-old policy that banned open-pit coal mining in many parts of the province, she felt that despite not being an activist, she had to find a way to draw attention to the situation." #watersecurity #saynotocoal #waterconservation

"The mass of ‘invisible’ microplastics found in the upper waters of the Atlantic Ocean is approximately 12-21 million tonnes, according to a new study" "In order to determine the dangers of plastic contamination to the environment & to humans we need good estimates of the amount & characteristics of this material, how it enters the ocean, how it degrades, & then how toxic it is at these concentrations." #microplastics #plasticpollution

This VICE Canada piece looks at how Canadians and the Canadian environmental movement can address environmental racism. Bill C-230, the National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act, will be considered in parliament this fall to fill the gap in Canadian law around this issue. "Though concern about racism is rising among Canadians following this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests against police brutalityabout 60 percent now see it as a serious issue, according to recent pollingenvironmental advocates say the country has only barely begun to reckon with the health-destroying pollution it’s inflicted on people of colour." #environmentaljustice #intersectionalenvironmentalism #environmentalracism

New technology alert! This innovative desalination process is cleaner and more envirionmentally friendly than past alternatives "This study has successfully demonstrated that the photoresponsive MOFs are a promising, energy-efficient, and sustainable adsorbent for desalination...Our work provides an exciting new route for the design of functional materials for using solar energy to reduce the energy demand and improve the sustainability of water desalination." #desalination #innovation #greentech

This beautiful photo essay looks at how access to water is changing the lives of many in Somaliland. "Approximately 70 percent of Somalis rely on agriculture and pastoralism for their livelihoods. Droughts, floods, the loss of gulleys to erosion and the felling of trees for charcoal production put these vulnerable groups at risk. With ever fewer ways to make a living in the countryside, migration to towns and cities has swelled Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps and slu...m settlements, where people live in crowded and unsanitary conditions. This is particularly true for young people, who are less willing to settle for the increasing poverty and limited options of rural communities...With support from UNDP and the GEF, over 100,000 households now have more reliable access to water provided by nearly 800 dams, dykes, storage tanks and other projects. Of these, 56,000 are run by women." #WaterSecurity #Somaliland #WaterIsLife

Beer made with treated wastewater might sound odd but provides a window into the drinking habits of the future. This sustainable innovation is good for the planet and your tastebuds: "The U of C's Advancing Canadian Water Assets (ACWA) treated the wastewater using tertiary treatment technologies, including advanced oxidation and nano-filtration...ACWA and Village Brewery worked alongside Xylem Inc., an industry leader in potable reuse, who have undertaken similar projects in Europe and the U.S." #innovation #waterreuse #sustainablebeer

This opinion piece by Dr. Jill Robbie, University of Glasgow; Dr. Benjamin Henley, and Dr. Anna Kosovac, The University of Melbourne discusses how the approach to water management must change for climate change impacts to be effectively addressed. #watersecurity #watermanagement

"In a partnership with a local company, Geranium Homes is installing a grey water conservation system in new builds that could help revolutionalize how homeowners use their water. The idea is to reuse bath and shower water to flush your toilet...The company claims the system could save the average family of four nearly 30,000 litres of water annually enough to fill a 16-by-32-foot rectangular swimming pool." This new project will upgrade water systems in twenty-one homes and save thousands of litres of waters for years to come. #watersecurity #greywater #waterconservation

Saskatchewan is planning to expand its irrigation capacity through a $4 billion project on Lake Diefenbaker. This insightful piece reviews water experts' thoughts on the expansion and what can be done to ensure sustainable and responsible management. "Pat Lloyd-Smith, a water and resource economist at the University of Saskatchewan’s college of agriculture, said managing the entire river system is key. A project of this size should be coupled with efficient and equitable water management policy." #watersecurity #watermanagement #irrigationmanagement

A new study out of UBC identifies Albertan communities that may face future water insecurity due to melting glaciers. It is important to know that while Canada may seem like a very water rich country, our communities are still vulnerable to and some are suffering from water insecurity. #watersecurity #climatechange

If you missed our latest blog post, check it out here now!

"Groundwater is integral to the health of our natural systems. This unseen water that flows beneath our feet is integral to thriving ecosystems that create abundant greenery, healthier communities, and resilience against climate change." Read our latest blog post to learn about our workshop on groundwater planning in Metro Vancouver. This workshop is part of our new PWRC Virtual Workshop Series on Green Infrastructure that will continue throughout 2020. Stay tuned on our social channels for the next event and details for how to register. #groundwater #cityplanning #metrovancouver

The PWRC Annual Report 2019-2020 is now available for review. The report covers research updates, fundraising, student engagement and public events. https://www.sfu.ca/conte/dam/sfu/pwrc/PDFs/PWRC_AR_2020.pdf Our Executive Director, Zafar Adeel, writes "The reporting period turned out to be one of the most productive for PWRC so far. A number of new projects and initiatives were launched, coupled with successes in mobilizing resources for their implementation. While the COVI...D-19 pandemic significantly impacted our public-facing programs and events in 2020, research work by the PWRC team and our research collaborators continued largely unabated." Review the report and share any thoughts in the comments. #waterresearch #sfuresearch #sfu #pwrc

As a sovereign First Nation within what is known as Canada, Nuxalk people have maintained a strong relationship with the eulachon since time immemorial. Known as sputc in the Nuxalk language, spawning populations in the Bella Coola remain a fraction of their historical size, but recent years have seen greater numbers of fish entering the river as winter turns to spring and the fish make their migration. Now, the Nuxalk Nation is leveraging the case of eulachon to strengthen its own environmental management authority, with the hopes that one day the fish will return home. #stewardship #environmentalmanagement #endangeredspecies

Great piece on WaterSciencePolicy about nature-based solutions. Case studies from the UK, Australia and USA show climate change mitigation, sustainable urbanization and ecosystem restoration. Worth the read! https://www.watersciencepolicy.com//nature-based-solution/ #naturebasedsolutions #ecosystemservices #freshwater