Guide for municipal water management released

The Canadian Water Network’s Municipal Water Consortium has issued a report highlighting priorities for operating and managing water systems.

The report is intended to lead the national discussion on “what municipalities need, want and can address in order to collectively move forward as sustainable water communities.”

It highlights four areas:

Integrated Risk Management — Assessing frameworks to support Integrated Risk Management, including the full breadth of drivers affecting municipal water.

Full Cost Recovery and Financing — Assessing the state of knowledge and practice for full cost recovery and financing for water systems.

Wastewater Resource Recovery and Beneficial Use of Biosolids — Identifying the possibilities and implications of wastewater resource recovery and beneficial use of biosolids.

Resiliency to Storms and Extreme Weather — Determining what is practical and achievable in making municipal water systems more resilient to storms and extreme weather.
The Canadian Water Network is located at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. It launched the Canadian Municipal Water Consortium in 2009 as a platform for municipalities, industry, government and research teams to work together. Its leadership group consists of 13 municipalities and utilities across Canada, spanning from Victoria to Halifax. It also works with NGOs.

Bernadette Conant, Chief Executive Officer of CWN, says:”Our hope is that the Consortium will help water managers be better equipped to anticipate, respond and adapt to emerging challenges and trends, and ultimately make better-informed decisions on priorities and investments.”

To download the report, click here.