February 8, 2008

IMPROVING DRINKING WATER QUALITY

Today’s announcement represents part of the second round of funding under the Ontario Research Fund’s Research Excellence program. In this round, the government is investing $19,505,964 to support four world-class projects at the University of Waterloo. Funding will be matched by approximately 40 industry and other partners participating in the projects.

Centre for the Control of Emerging Contaminants (CCEC)

Developing technologies for next-generation wastewater treatment

Total project cost: $14,709,372
Provincial funding: $4,813,425
Lead researcher: Dr. Wayne Parker

This project will see the creation of a Centre for the Control of Emerging Contaminants (CCEC), which will bring together an interdisciplinary group of many of the most respected water scientists in Canada, as well as industry and government partners. The centre will focus on the control of emerging contaminants (ECs) in water, wastewater, and residuals (i.e. biosolids).

Researchers at the new Centre for the Control of Emerging Contaminants will develop and test new technologies for measuring, monitoring, controlling and removing ECs in current and next-generation wastewater treatment systems. Specifically, researchers will investigate how to improve management of ECs that pass virtually unchanged through wastewater treatments, which were never designed to remove them.          

Key private sector partners:
Trojan Technologies, Pathogen Detection Systems, GE-Zenon

Key Facts:

• Thousands of new types of compounds are released into our water system daily, including drug residues, personal care and cleaning products and industrial chemicals. 
• With long-term health effects of ECs a growing concern, there is a need to develop ways to remove these contaminants from water supplies.

The proposed research will provide training of critically needed high-quality personal for Ontario’s growing environmental sector. Creation of the CCEC will position Ontario as an international leader in the control of emerging contaminants by building focused research capacity in key areas where a solid foundation of expertise has already been established.

The result will be greater health protection from emerging water contaminants, new high-value jobs, and made-in-Ontario technology solutions that can be marketed around the world — boosting the province’s economy.

Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence Program

This second round of funding under the Research Excellence program will invest  $114,709,614 to support 19 world-class projects at nine Ontario universities, institutes and hospitals. Funding will be matched by 107 major industry and other partners participating in the projects.

For more information about the Ontario Research Fund, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.

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