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Compare and contrast: Climate change could overwhelm our sewers – here’s how green infrastructure could help

The Conversation – United Kingdom


Aside from hotter summers and melting glaciers, climate change is transforming how, when and where rain falls. This challenges much of the world’s sewer systems, especially with the added strains of population growth and increased urbanisation.   Click here to read the story.

Western University water research drives sustainable global solutions

Water Canada


Though their projects differ, all three researchers share a common goal: making a tangible difference in how communities interact with and manage water resources. From improving public health monitoring to creating sustainable materials and designing resilient infrastructures, the work being done at the WWCTR is not just academically significant but also practically transformative.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Climate and Severe Weather.

Compare and contrast: Thousands without water and electricity as cold snap grips RoI

BBC News


Crews alongside local authority teams are working in difficult, freezing conditions to access water treatment plants and pump stations to return water supplies to those affected by bursts on the network and electricity outages.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.

Contaminated water storage at Victoria Gold mine may be leaking: Yukon government

Yukon News


According to a Jan. 3 update on its response to the situation at the mine, which has been out of production since a June 2024 landslide breached its heap leach facility, the Yukon government states that it was informed about the possible leak on Dec. 28, 2024. That information came from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the receiver that a court placed in charge of the mine to oversee clean-up from the landslide.   Click here to read the story.

Compare and contrast: U.S. Corn Belt: Intensive farming and shallow groundwater affect precipitation patterns

Science Daily


By using advanced computer modeling techniques, scientists were able to determine that the region’s agriculture, combined with shallow groundwater, increases the precipitation recycling ratio by almost 30%. This provides a significant boost to rainfall during the growing season.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Irrigation.

Compare and contrast: Here are the answers to 15 common questions about fluoride in drinking water

The Journalist’s Resource


Major health organizations recommend water fluoridation as a way to prevent dental cavities and find it safe. The American Dental Association has reaffirmed its staunch support of water fluoridation. So has the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The International Association for Dental Research also supports water fluoridation and finds it safe, as does the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on

Compare and contrast: Relentless warming is driving the water cycle to new extremes, the 2024 global water report shows

The Conversation – Global


The 2024 Global Water Monitor Report released today shows how these changes are driving extreme events around the world. Our international team of researchers used data from thousands of ground stations and satellites to analyse real-time information on weather and water underground, in rivers and in water bodies.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Climate and Severe Weather.

Nova Scotia facility achieves sustainable wastewater management with innovative solution

Water Canada


Located in the heart of Nova Scotia, Canada, AtlantiCann Medical Inc. (AMI) features a 75,000-square-foot facility purpose-built to meet the most rigorous quality and control standards. Three years ago, the municipality voiced concerns about the phosphorous load in the facility’s wastewater, threatening to shut down the operation if the situation wasn’t corrected.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.

Compare and contrast: ‘Cannot stress enough how proud I am’: how Greater Manchester came together to tackle floods

The Guardian


She was one of almost a thousand people across Greater Manchester evacuated on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – half of them rescued on boats, and many from flooded homes.” ” Many residents have still not been able to go back, with specialists working to restore power and water, and make people’s homes livable once more.   Click here to read the story.   Click the following link for more information on Flood.

Compare and contrast: Great Lakes Water Levels Shift Amid Unusual Weather Patterns

Thumbwind


Despite record-high precipitation, the Great Lakes water levels are below long-term averages for January on several lakes, prompting close monitoring.   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.