WaterPortal Business and Technology Directory

Water management challenges and opportunities are prevalent throughout Alberta, crossing many jurisdictions and impacting various stakeholders, industries and communities. Water plays a significant role in Alberta’s energy, agricultural and environmental sectors, and is a strong driver for technology development and innovation.

In 2013, Alberta’s GDP was $331.9 billion and much of the economic activity that generated this GDP required water as an input, either directly or indirectly. Sectors that rely on water include energy (24.6% of 2013 GDP), manufacturing and forestry (6.9% of 2013 GDP), agriculture (1.9% of 2013 GDP), business and commercial services (10.6% of 2013 GDP), tourism and consumer services (4.4% of 2013 GDP) and health (5.0% of 2013 GDP). These statistics show that over half (53.4%) of Alberta’s GDP depends directly or indirectly on water.

WaterPortal Business and Technology Directory was created in conjunction with a 2015 report to act as a resource for the Government of Alberta and water technology innovators in the province. The Directory provides a comprehensive collection of information on water technology and consulting companies, researchers and initiatives focused on innovation and commercialization.  The Directory is intended to act as a resource to ultimately help bolster the province’s technology capabilities in the global water industry.

Please note that the Directory was the result of a funded project and the WaterPortal has not been able to dedicate the resources to maintain it.   Consequently, the Directory information for organisations may no longer be current.

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.