Water News

Water News is a free, subscription-based service that provides the latest information on water news across Canada and upcoming events.
The news is distributed weekly on Mondays via a collated email and Monday to Friday via WaterPortal social media (X was Twitter). Please note that news will not be distributed on Holiday Mondays and will be released the following Tuesday.  
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Compare and contrast: The system that moves water around the Earth is off balance for the first time in human history

Compare and contrast: The system that moves water around the Earth is off balance for the first time in human history

CNN


Humanity has thrown the global water cycle off balance “for the first time in human history,” fueling a growing water disaster that will wreak havoc on economies, food production and lives, according to a landmark new report.” ” Decades of destructive land use and water mismanagement have collided with the human-caused climate crisis to put “unprecedented stress” on the global water cycle, said the report published Wednesday by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a group of international leaders and experts.   Click here to read the story.

Canadians drink more bottled water than most. That makes us part of the problem

Canadians drink more bottled water than most. That makes us part of the problem

Waterloo Region Record


Canadians are among the world’s heaviest drinkers of bottled water, about 97 per cent of which is sold in disposable plastic containers.” At $17.1 billion in annual spending on bottled water, Canada trails only the more populous U.S. ($87.7 billion), China ($67.7 billion) and Indonesia ($30.1 billion).   Click here to read the story.

Compare and contrast: After hurricane, with no running water, residents organize to meet a basic need

Compare and contrast: After hurricane, with no running water, residents organize to meet a basic need

Toronto Star


It takes water to flush a toilet and tens of thousands of North Carolinians have been without it since Hurricane Helene ripped through the state three weeks ago.   Click here to read the story. Click the following link for more information on Climate and Severe Weather.

Montreal plans to stop adding fluoride to West Island tap water in 2025

Montreal plans to stop adding fluoride to West Island tap water in 2025

CTV News


The West Island is one of the few places in Quebec that adds fluoride to the drinking water, but the City of Montreal plans to phase that out by 2025, and some in the community are upset.   Click here to read the story.

Compare and contrast: It could take over 40 years for PFAS to leave groundwater

Compare and contrast: It could take over 40 years for PFAS to leave groundwater

Science Daily


Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated groundwater.   Click here to read the story.  Click the following link for more information on Infrastructure.

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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.