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Stopgap Columbia River Treaty leaves U.S. with more electricity, trickier flood management

The Spokesman-Review


The U.S. Department of State announced the temporary agreement late last month. It shifts flood risk management mostly to the U.S., which could make it trickier to manage floods on the Lower Columbia. But it also lets the U.S. keep an estimated $100 million in hydropower previously sent north.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Governance.

Compare and contrast: Valencians struggling to recover from devastating floods

BBC News


The floodwater left a six-feet-high (1.8m) mark on the wall, and although the water has now gone, mud still clings to the machines. But as well as claiming lives, the disaster also devastated livelihoods. Valencia’s chamber of commerce estimated that 48,000 companies have been affected.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Flood.

Halalt First Nation Sues Forest Firm, Governments for Flooding

The Tyee


Halalt First Nation in the Cowichan Valley has launched a class-action lawsuit against private forest giant Mosaic Forest Management and three levels of government for damages related to flooding on the band’s reserve on the lower Chemainus River.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Flood.

Compare and contrast: Study finds US hydropower generation may increase despite climate variability

Water Power Magazine


A national study has found that overall hydropower production in the United States could increase over the next 15 years despite climate change causing regional and seasonal variations. The research, conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is the largest assessment of its kind to date and analyzed 1544 facilities across the contiguous United States.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.

Federal government partners with Port Coquitlam to strengthen flood protection efforts

Water Canada


“Climate change is an escalating threat to communities across Canada, affecting all of us. Investments in disaster mitigation infrastructure aren’t just about reducing risks they’re about safeguarding our homes, livelihoods, critical infrastructure, and the aquatic life essential to our ecosystems. The projects announced today reflect our ongoing commitment to working alongside our partners to build more resilient, adaptable communities, like Port Coquitlam, ensuring they are better protected today and for generations to come”.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.

Compare and contrast: Farmers Are Using Wool To Save Water in the Drought-Ridden West

TIME


Wilde was less interested in compost and more intrigued by waste wool’s potential to be a water-saving, plant-feeding, synthetic-fertilizer-replacing gamechanger for a drought-ravaged West.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Drought.

Compare and contrast: This Nunavik village has boiled its ‘fishy’ water for 9 months straight. A new reservoir could fix that

CBC


Residents believe their water woes stem from a fishy water source. “When you boil the water or when you use the washer or shower, we smell the fish,” Mayor Maggie Akpahatak said.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.

City workers quick to respond to water main breaks

Medicine Hat News


City field operation crews quickly responded to two separate water main breaks Thursday morning in the Flats that temporarily affected residents and businesses in the area. “Depending on the severity of the repair, we always have to maintain positive pressure for safety. So we would minimize the valving, depending on what happened,” explains King. “If we actually cut a section out of it, clearly it has to be shut down as much as possible.”.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.

Compare and contrast: America’s Next Water Crisis? A Lack of Experienced Workers

BNN Bloomberg


“He was 90 years old and still performing the duties because of the challenge of finding someone else to step up,” said Walton. “What’s keeping the leaders of these systems up at night is, ‘Who’s going to operate and maintain all this stuff right for the next five, 10, 20, 30 years?'” said Joseph Kane, a Brookings Institution fellow who authored the report.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.

Dams across Ontario get $75M revamp, extending lifespans for up to 100 years including in Baysville and Huntsville

Muskoka Region


The provincial government is investing more than $75 million to rehabilitate 10 dams across Ontario a project aimed at extending the lifespan of each structure by up to 100 years. The construction, scheduled over the next four years, will address critical maintenance issues and improve safety.   Click here to read the story.

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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.