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| Canadian Water and Wastewater Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Canadian Water and Wastewater Association |
| Abbreviation | CWWA |
| Formation | 1980s |
| Type | Non-profit, industry association |
| Headquarters | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Region served | Canada |
Canadian Water and Wastewater Association The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association is a national non-profit association representing municipal Toronto-area and national Vancouver-area water and wastewater utilities, regional authorities such as Halifax Regional Municipality and City of Montréal providers, First Nations utilities including Assembly of First Nations partners, and federal agencies like Infrastructure Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. It serves as a coordinating body linking municipal operators, provincial regulators such as Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and pan-Canadian organizations including Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Canadian Standards Association, and National Research Council (Canada) to advance sustainable water management and sanitation policy. The association engages with international institutions such as the United Nations agencies and the World Health Organization on cross-border water safety, resilience, and infrastructure financing.
The association was formed amid sectoral reforms influenced by events like the Walkerton E. coli outbreak and policy responses from entities such as Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, and evolved alongside federal programs from Infrastructure Canada and provincial initiatives in Québec and British Columbia. Early collaborations involved major utilities including Toronto Water, Montréal Municipal Waterworks, and the Regional Municipality of Peel, and partnerships with research bodies like the National Research Council (Canada) and academic institutions such as the University of Toronto and McGill University. Over time it engaged in intergovernmental dialogues with bodies like the Council of the Federation and international forums such as the Global Water Partnership and the World Water Council.
The association's governance model reflects input from municipal members like City of Calgary Water Services, provincial representatives from Alberta Environment and Parks, and federal observers from Public Safety Canada and Indigenous Services Canada. Its board has included leaders and executives from utilities such as Edmonton Water Services and policy experts formerly from Transport Canada and the Privy Council Office. Committees and working groups coordinate with standards organizations such as the Canadian Standards Association and research partners like McMaster University and Dalhousie University.
Programs have addressed asset management influenced by frameworks from Public Works and Government Services Canada and training collaborations with colleges such as Centennial College and BC Institute of Technology. Initiatives include capacity building with municipal partners like Halton Region and Indigenous utilities coordinated through Assembly of First Nations channels, resilience projects aligning with Natural Resources Canada climate programs, and emergency response planning informed by Public Safety Canada guidance and lessons from incidents like the Mississippi River floods (1993) and the Walkerton E. coli outbreak.
The association advocates on matters intersecting with legislation and regulators including Fisheries Act (Canada), federal funding programs administered by Infrastructure Canada, and provincial statutes in Ontario and Québec. It provides briefings to parliamentary committees such as the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development and engages with agencies like Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada on drinking water quality, public health standards, and source water protection. It has submitted recommendations aligned with international commitments under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and liaises with finance actors including Export Development Canada and federal budget offices.
Members include large municipal utilities such as Toronto Water, Calgary Water Services, and Vancouver utilities, regional service providers like Halifax Water, as well as industry stakeholders including suppliers and consultants formerly engaged with Stantec and AECOM. Partnerships extend to academic partners including University of British Columbia and Université de Montréal, standard bodies like the Canadian Standards Association, and international partners such as the World Health Organization and the Global Water Partnership.
The association collaborates with research institutes such as the National Research Council (Canada), universities including McGill University and University of Waterloo, and standards bodies like the Canadian Standards Association to develop best practices in asset management, treatment technologies, and leak detection technologies used by operators in Ottawa and across provinces. Training programs have been delivered in partnership with community colleges such as George Brown College and regulatory bodies like Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to align operator certification with provincial regimes and national competency frameworks.
The association administers awards recognizing excellence among operators and utilities, paralleling honors given by organizations such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Canadian Water Resources Association, and highlights innovations from utilities like City of Surrey and research teams from University of Toronto and McMaster University.
Category:Water supply and sanitation in Canada Category:Non-profit organizations based in Ottawa