 Upcoming Events
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January 27-29, 2019
Toronto, ON
February 24-27, 2019
Toronto, ON
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We're Celebrating 25 Years!
OCWA celebrated a milestone on November 15, 2018. It was 25 years ago that we were created as a provincial Agency.
 Since 1993, OCWA has built a solid reputation as a leader in the water industry and a trusted partner to municipalities, First Nations and other organizations across the province. Although the core of our business is operations and maintenance, our services have evolved and expanded to meet the changing needs of our clients and the environment we work in. Sustainable asset management planning, resource recovery and innovative technology solutions are now services that we are delivering to our clients as part of our everyday business.
There have been many technological and regulatory changes in the industry over the years, but what has remained consistent is the dedication and commitment of OCWA employees to providing our client communities with safe clean drinking water and environmental protection.
Thank you to our client communities for being part of our history. We look forward to many more years of partnership.
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Protecting Your Water Systems against Cyberattacks
Cyberattacks are on the rise globally - and no individual or organization is immune.
A number of Ontario municipalities have fallen victim to these attacks and been locked out of their systems - with hackers demanding a "ransom" to unlock them.  Fortunately, vital services such as fire, water and waste-management services wer
e not affected as a result.
If vital services are successfully compromised in an attack, the consequences can be very serious: operational downtime, financial losses, and threats to public health and safety.
As an operator of more than 800 water and wastewater systems across Ontario, OCWA is a leader in the adoption of cutting-edge technology to ensure the safety of our own data and the data of our clients. We have a cyber security management system - developed by industry experts - that detects and protects against threats to the network infrastructure, applications servers and data storage.
Protection of Client Data Top Concern
"The protection of client and OCWA data is my top concern," says Sav Chawla, VP of Information & Information Technology at OCWA. "We are continually reviewing, enhancing and adapting our cybersecurity measures to ensure that your water and wastewater services are protected."
OCWA follows industry best practices and additional procedures as required of a Crown Agency, including:
- Certified IT personnel dedicated to strengthening the security and resilience of our network infrastructure and protecting your data.
- Multiple layers of defense and proactive security controls to thwart, mitigate, an d effectively respond to evolving cyber threats.
- OCWA's internal quarterly risk management reviews.
- A cycle of continuous improvement, application patching and upgrades, and annual security awareness education and training for our staff.
- We follow the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework and also receive regular notifications from many expert sources, including the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.
To learn more about how OCWA is protecting your data from a potential cyberattack, please contact your local Business Development Manager or email ocwa@ocwa.com.
*An enhanced version of this story that includes tips on
protecting your municipality from cybercrime is available on our website.
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Safety is our Priorty - OCWA Fit For Duty Policy
In response to the legalization of cannabis on October 17, 2018, OCWA has developed a new Substance Abuse/Fit for Duty Policy for all employees. The policy clarifies employees' obligations to be Fit for Duty when conducting Agency Business and/or while on Agency Premises, including while operating a Fleet vehicle.
This policy supports OCWA's commitment to fostering and sustaining a safe and healthy workplace, and to protecting the health and safety of the communities we serve. If you have any questions about our Substance Abuse/Fit for Duty Policy, please contact your local Business Development Manager or email ocwa@ocwa.com.
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Introducing OCWA's New Energy Efficiency Manager
Earlier in the year, we welcomed Adrian Sabau to the OCWA team as our new Energy Efficiency Manager. Adrian has more than 19 years of experience in energy conservation, energy management and process engineering at major organizations such as Vale and Goldcorp.
At OCWA, Adrian's key role is driving OCWA's Performance for Pay (P4P) energy program, offered through a partnership with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), and executing OCWA's corporate sustainable energy plan. He is responsible for undertaking client energy audits and energy studies, supporting the delivery of energy-related upgrades, and assisting to identify and quantify energy savings in other capital projects.
Adrian looks forward to helping clients achieve efficiencies and savings through OCWA's energy program.
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Know Your Responsibilities Under the Safe Drinking Water Act
OCWA hosting Standard of Care sessions - book now!
OCWA is pleased to offer Standard of Care sessions for its municipal clients. Hosted by OCWA and
delivered by the Walkerton Clean Water Centre, sessions are designed to inform municipal councillors and officials of their oversight responsibilities under Section 19 of the
Safe Drinking Water Act, which came into effect on December 31, 2012.
Severe penalties are possible for municipal officials who fail to act in good faith and do not exercise honesty,
competence and integrity to ensure the protection and safety of the users of municipal drinking water systems.
Several examples of waterborne disease outbreaks are examined, which highlight the importance of competent
oversight. The course covers general information about drinking water systems, the multi-barrier
approach to drinking water treatment, and some of the risks associated with drinking water production and
distribution. Participants will also learn about additional specialized training that is available.
To learn more about the course or inquire about sessions in your area, please contact your local OCWA Business Development Manager or email ocwa@ocwa.com.
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Busy fall for OCWA Water Talks series
OCWA was excited to bring its popular Water Talks series to a number of communities across Ontario this fall.
Launched several years ago, the series brings OCWA experts to municipal client communities to share their expertise and engage in discussion. Topics include Asset Management, Managing Your Underground Assets, and Energy Efficiency.
If you would like to learn more about our Water Talks series or inquire about sessions in your area, please contact your local OCWA Business Development Manager or email ocwa@ocwa.com.
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OneWater in the City of Kawartha Lakes
OCWA's OneWater Education Program has gotten off to a great start in the 2018-19 school year. To date, more than 45 schools and 2,000 students have participated in the water literacy program targeted at Grade 8s.
This fall, OCWA operators visited Mariposa Elementary School (below left) and Bobcaygeon Public School (below right) in the City of Kawartha Lakes. It was great to have representatives from the municipality join us in Bobcaygeon for some fun hands-on experiments. Thanks to Amber Hayter (
Supervisor of Water & Wastewater Operations) and Kayla
Strackholder (C
ontract Coordinator
Water & Wastewater, Public Works)
for their support!
We look forward to bringing OneWater to more schools in the new year.
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