Consulting Engineers to Fund Water Quality Research Scholarship

In May, John Sutherns, P. Eng., Chair of Consulting Engineers of Ontario (CEO) announced a $250,000 Water Quality Research Scholarship to support university-led research for the protection and treatment of drinking water across Ontario.

“We believe that by supporting this research, we will also be assisting municipalities and consulting engineers to meet the need to deliver safe drinking water from source to tap,” said Mr. Sutherns. “This first-of-its-kind program will recognize the need for practical solutions in water quality research.”

The scholarship program will fund up to six graduate student research positions over the next three years. The announcement was made at CEO’s Annual General Meeting held May 23 at the Nottawasaga Inn in Alliston.

Mr. Sutherns said, “CEO takes pride in being able to give back to the university community where our future water-quality experts will be trained and will perform the research that can improve the quality of drinking water — our most valuable resource.”

All universities in Ontario are eligible to apply. Students receiving the scholarships must be enrolled in a graduate program at an accredited engineering faculty. Eligible areas of research include contaminant detection and treatment, source water protection, and economics of drinking water infrastructure.

“This scholarship created by Consulting Engineers of Ontario is an exciting and welcomed investment in water quality research,” said Dr. Kerry Rowe, Vice Principal of Research at Queen’s University and Chair of the Ontario Council on University Research. “I expect that the university research community will eagerly participate.”