Author: Shannon Smithwick

Heavy Metals

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Substances Influences Concerns & Misconceptions Also known as trace elements,and toxic metals.  What are they? Heavy metals are metallic elements and metalloids […]

Wildfires

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Influences Substances Concerns & Misconceptions What are they? Wildfires are fires, started by natural causes or human activities, that burn large areas […]

Forest Management

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Influences Substances Concerns & Misconceptions What is it? Natural Resources Canada defines sustainable forest management as a way of using and caring for […]

Irrigation

What is it? Irrigation is the method in which a controlled amount of water is supplied to plants at regular intervals for agriculture. It is used to assist in the […]

Wastewater Treatment Plants

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Influences Substances Concerns & Misconceptions What are they? Wastewater treatment plants convert effluent (water that has been used for some industrial or […]

Water Treatment Plants

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Influences Substances Concerns & Misconceptions What are they? Water treatment is a process that alters the chemical and/or physical properties of source […]

Agriculture

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Influences Substances Concerns & Misconceptions What is it? Agriculture is the practice of cultivating soil, producing crops and raising livestock. We are […]

Industry

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Influences Substances Concerns & Misconceptions What is it?  Industry is a general term for the collection of businesses that manufacture, produce, or […]

Stormwater

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Influences Substances Concerns & Misconceptions What is it?  Stormwater is commonly understood as runoff, from rainfall or snowmelt events, that flows over […]

Wetlands

What’s in Your Water? What’s in Your Water? Influences Substances Concerns & Misconceptions What are they?  A wetland is a type of ecosystem that has both aquatic and terrestrial properties. […]

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Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Ross Douglas

Ross Douglas

Board Member

Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.

Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Brian Mergelas

Brian Mergelas, PhD, ICD.D

Board Member

Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market.   With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry. 

Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector. 

He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency. 

Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field. 

Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation.   As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.