H2-Oh!

“All the water that will ever be is, right now.” —National Geographic, 1993

 Over time, we’ve collected a few facts on our provincial, national and global water trends and statistics. These facts are presented here to illustrate the importance of protecting our precious waters. Every drop counts.  We encourage you to learn more about our water, and how you can become more involved in making Alberta the next world leader in water management solutions.

Alberta Water Facts

  • While 80% of Alberta’s water supply lies in the Northern part of the province, 80% of Alberta’s water demand comes from the southern half of the province.
  • Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park is the second largest glacier-fed lake in the world
  • Approximately 40,000 cubic kilometres (km3) of groundwater exists in Alberta—enough to cover the entire province in about 60 meters of water

Click below to read more interesting facts on water in Alberta.

Alberta Water Facts

Canada Water Facts

  • Canada has 563 lakes having an area greater than 100 square kilometres.
  • Approximately 60% of Canada’s fresh water drains north, while 85% of the population lives within 300 kilometres of the southern border.[1] Currently, there are 2921 active water level and streamflow stations being operated in Canada.
  • Health problems related to water pollution in general are estimated to cost Canadians $300 million per year.

Click below to read more interesting facts on water in Canada.

Canada Water Facts

World Water Facts

  • Sanitation and drinking water investments have high rates of return: for every $1 invested, there is a projected $3-$34 economic development return.
  • Around 3,800 cubic kilometres of fresh water is withdrawn annually from the world’s lakes, rivers and aquifers. This is twice the volume extracted 50 years ago.
  • Increased stress from (expanding populations, urbanization and climate change) on the world’s water resources over the last 20 years has resulted in over 80% of countries reforming their water laws.

Click below to read more interesting facts on water in the World.

World Water Facts

Industry Uses

Industry users are among the top water users in Canada. This includes thermal power generation, manufacturing, oil & gas production and mining. 

Click below to read more interesting facts on industry uses of water.

Industry Uses of Water

Funding Opportunities

Below are Alberta and Canada based grants for water related research or projects. If there is a grant you would like to add to the list below please submit it to our website.

Funding Opportunities

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We provide Canadian educational resources on water practices to promote conservation and sustainability. Our team crafts current and relevant content, while encouraging feedback and engagement.

The Canada WaterPortal is a registered charity, #807121876RR0001

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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.