Res'Eau Waternet

Most Canadians who live in mid-size and large urban centres take drinking water for granted – we’ve grown accustomed to the idea that clean drinking water is only as far away as the nearest tap. However, a shocking number of small, rural and First Nations communities (SRCs) struggle to provide drinkable water on a regular basis, putting six million Canadians at risk for water-borne disease. In SRCs, unique and complex socio-cultural, economic, political and technological issues have shut out the progress that research, development and significant government funding from broad tax bases has brought to larger populations. Many small water treatment systems are underfunded and difficult to staff with experienced equipment operators given their remote settings. Often, they rely on outdated treatment technologies. The result is that many communities have learned to live in a third-world-like environment. In 2010 alone, 1,324 “boil water advisories” and 20 “do-not-consume/do-not-touch” warnings were issued in Canada. For an innovative, prosperous country like Canada, this situation is unacceptable – SRCs urgently require cost-effective and reliable monitoring and treatment technologies optimized for their unique needs. And that’s where RES’EAU-WaterNET comes in.