New Water Technology On Tap

New Water Technology On Tap
Tuesday, December 21st, 2010 by iplumb

Legislation introduced this week is aimed to make Ontario a leader in water technology, the province’s environment minister says.

Kingston and the Islands MPP John Gerretsen on Tuesday unveiled the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act, which is meant to promote water conservation as well as the province’s emerging technology expertise.

If passed, the legislation would see the creation of what would be called the Water Technology Acceleration Partnership, a “technology hub” bringing together industry, academics and government to streamline the sale of water-centred technologies.

With an expected 40% shortage of drinking water in the next 20 years, Gerretsen said it is an industry brimming with potential.

“We think there’s a great opportunity there to cluster some of these water-technology companies that already exist, marry it with new, innovative ideas, and to become, in effect, a world leader in providing … potable drinking water.”

By turning the creation of clean water into a business opportunity for Ontario companies, Gerretsen hopes the province will become recognized for water technology the same way California’s Silicon Valley is recognized for computer technology.

Ontario’s water technology companies employ more than 22,000 people, and many of their products are already being used around the world, Gerretsen said.

According to government-provided statistics, water and waste -water technology generates $1.8 billion in sales, making it the largest sub-sector in Ontario’s environment industry.

The act, Gerretsen insisted, is not about the “bulk exporting” of water.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to export (our) water know-how … not our water.”

Ontario’s water-centred technologies were spawned from the government’s attempt to clean up the Great Lakes about 20 or 30 years ago, Gerretsen said. He figures it is the proximity to those same Great Lakes that’s to blame for Ontarians using 260 litres of water each day, about twice as much as the average European.

Ontarians could do more to conserve water, Gerretsen said, even if it’s something as simple as using a rain barrel.

“There’s absolutely no reason to use clean, drinkable water to water our flowers,” Gerretsen used as an example.

The bill also lays out water-efficiency standards for fixtures such as faucets and shower heads, similar to the existing EnerGuide system for household appliances. If the new products meet those standards, they can bear a label detailing their energy efficiency.

The proposed legislation is also intended to help municipalities identify problems with existing infrastructures.

“About a third of municipal water is being lost to leaks, etc.,” he said, “so if you come for (provincial) funding, you have to show you have a water sustain-ability plan in place to make sure the water that you’ve got within your system is being used as efficiently as possible.”

The proposed act was introduced a decade after the Walkerton tragedy, in which seven people died and 2,500 fell ill after the town’s water became contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

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