 Industry News
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Plan to Ban Microbeads
The federal government has announced plans to ban microbeads in toiletries effective January 1, 2018. Environment Canada is welcoming comments on the proposed regulations by January 19, 2017. Please submit feedback to
ow.ly/NuS3305VI34.
Renewal Rules for Water Bottlers
On the provincial side, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change is proposing new renewal rules for existing permits for water bottlers. To provide input, please visit
http://bit.ly/RenewalRules by January 31, 2017.
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Upcoming Events
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ROMA (Rural Ontario Municpial Association Conference)
Toronto, ON
January 29-31, 2017
OGRA (Ontario Good Roads Association Conference)
Toronto, ON
February 26-28, 2017
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Waterline - December 2016
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| OCWA News
OCWA Shared Services Model = Value for Communities
Many municipalities across Ontario have been struggling for years to find the money to pay for needed water and wastewater infrastructure repair and replacement. At the same time, there are increasing
demands to reduce energy use and build resiliency to climate change, as well as satisfy stringent regulations.
OCWA is aware of these challenges and has been working with its municipal partners to cope with the resulting pressures. Part of the solution could be a shift to shared services, something you've heard about and may even do in-house with some of your operations - or perhaps with neighbouring police, fire or by-law enforcement services.
OCWA has an already well-developed and efficient shared services water utility model with the economies of scale to bring value through our local delivery teams.
We share through our delivery structure and economies of scale in the areas of:
- People - we use a hub and spoke approach to share people, skills and expertise
- Knowledge - we operate over 800 facilities across Ontario and can utilize best practices established through managing a variety of facilities across the province
- Procurement - size leads to stronger purchasing and reduced costs
- Technology - we have broad expertise behind our local operations teams to bring the latest innovative technological solutions to clients, including our OCWAnet systems
Our clients are pleased with the many benefits of the model.
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Water Systems Get "Smart"
What is "smart water" and what does it mean for the water/wastewater industry? That was the topic of a full-day forum on November 30, 2016 hosted by OCWA, the Southern Ontario Water Consortium (SOWC) and the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP) in Toronto.
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| Smart Water Workshop: Representatives from OCWA, SOWC and WaterTAP led discussions on Smart Water at the November workshop |
Increasingly, "smart" tools and techniques are being developed and implemented for water management and treatment that help to extend asset life, reduce energy and water use, and provide better client service, ultimately leading to more strategic asset management and saving money over the long term.
Some examples of data utilization from smart information systems include distribution sensors for water system optimization, dynamically controlling flows to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and energy usage and sludge optimization. On the consumer side, homeowners can receive live consumption data about their water usage.
A number of factors are driving this change:
- The availability of tools, sensors and technologies that have a demonstrated benefit
- The need for system owners to sustainably manage long term costs
- Community expectations surrounding energy efficiency and GHG reductions
- Public expectations that their utilities become more transparent and allow easier access to information
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Introducing Sav Chawla, OCWA's Vice President of I&IT
OCWA is pleased to announce that Sav Chawla has
join
ed us as Vice President,
Information and Information Technology (I&IT). Sav brings
more than 25 years of experience in I&IT, having held many roles in the private sector at profit and not-for-profit organizations as well as senior management roles in the Ontario Public Sector. As VP of I&IT, Sav leads the design and delivery of technology solutions that support the water and wastewater operational needs of our diverse client group.
"It's very gratifying to be part of a team that helps deliver clean, safe, reliable water to millions of Ontarians," says Sav. "I was attracted to the role because I see the value that OCWA brings to its partnerships with municipalities and other clients - as well as the positive impact OCWA's work has on the end user. From an I&IT perspective, I am impressed by the use of innovative technologies in IT tools, services and treatment plant assets, and how these align. This is an area where OCWA has very strong expertise and the ability to be a total solutions provider puts us in a unique position to service communities. I look forward to helping provide increased value to clients through 2017."
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OCWA Launches New Website
We're excited to announce a new look and feel for
www.ocwa.com
. From company information to job postings to training opportunities to news stories, it's all here in an easy-to-navigate package. Check it out and let us know what you think. Send comments to
ocwa@ocwa.com
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Talking Tech During Ontario's Water Innovation week
OCWA was excited to be a sponsor for the 2016 World Water-Tech North America summit in Toronto on October 18-19, 2016. The fourth annual summit focused on accelerating innovation in energy-optimized and climate-resilient infrastructure. Our CEO Rob Andrews participated in a panel about driving the adoption of new water technologies, while OCWA experts presented during the one-day Ontario Water Innovation in Action 2.0 event. Both events were part of WaterTAP's Ontario Water Innovation Week.
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| Rob Andrews; President and CEO |
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OCWA Jets Pump it Up at WEFTEC
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From left: Coach Richard Junkin; Waterloo Regional Hub Manager, Al Robdrup, Jason Mank, Marcel Misuraca,Tom Nicol.
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Congratulations to the OCWA Jets Operations Challenge team, who recently participated at the annual Operations Challenge competition at the 89th WEFTEC Conference in New Orleans, bringing home 3rd Place in Pump Maintenance.
Great work, team!
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OCWA in the Community
I Don't Flush Campaign Wins CWWA Utility Excellence Award
OCWA was honoured in November with a Utility Excellence Award (Community Outreach) from the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association for the I Don't Flush public awareness campaign. Produced in partnership with the Clean Water Foundation, I Don't Flush encourages the public to properly dispose of household items rather than flushing them down the toilet.
The campaign began in 2014 with a focus on unused medications and then most recently targeted personal hygiene products (wipes, sanitary, dental floss). The campaign has generated more than 50 million media impressions so far, with publicity from GlobalNews, the Weather Network, CTV and many, many online and social media channels.
Now we're turning the spotlight on Fats, Oils and Grease (FOGs). FOGs are a major issue at wastewater facilities, one that costs significant time and money every year to manage. Our aim is to cut through the fat, getting to the nitty gritty on how damaging FOGs are to your system and showing people how changing their habits can make a difference.
We need YOUR HELP to spread the I Don't Flush word. To learn more about how your community can join the 2017 campaign on FOGs, please contact Amy Lane, OCWA Marketing and Communications Manager, at
alane@ocwa.com
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OneWater Making Waves Again in Schools
Now in its third year, OCWA's OneWater Education Program is teaching more children than ever about the value of water in their communities and beyond. Below is a snapshot of some of the classrooms our operators have visited so far this school year
.
Stay tuned for a full report of the 2016-17 program, which also includes the piloting of our new climate change module, The Changing Great Lakes. For more information about the program, please contact Catherine Flannery, Marketing and Communications Specialist, at
cflannery@ocwa.com.
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Success story: OCWA scholarship recipient Liz Brant
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Congratulations to Liz Brant, recipient of OCWA's 2016 Environmental Entrance Scholarship for Indigenous Students, who began her studies in September. This $2,500 tuition scholarship is given to one student each year and includes an OCWA co-op placement.
Liz was first hired by Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte back in 2001 to collect water samples throughout Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.
She eventually decided to pursue her Class 3 certification in Water Treatment and realized she needed to complete relevant post-secondary courses.
After
winning the OCWA scholarship, Liz was able to enroll in Loyalist College's Environmental Technician program part-time while working at the newly opened Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Water Treatment Plant.
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