The University of Alberta has launched an interdisciplinary research centre aimed at keeping water and wastewater services safe, reliable and sustainable for generations to come.
Based in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, the Water Research Centre was kick-started with a contribution of $1.4 million from EPCOR as the founding member. The centre will draw on expertise across faculties to examine problems of water supply, demand, treatment, reuse and infrastructure.
The launch follows decades of world-leading research at the U of A exploring a range of water-related topics, and specific projects within the Water Research Centre will build on water research already underway at the university, says director Mohamed Gamal El-Din,
"It's not just about engineering and science," he says. "It also includes sociology, rural economy, Indigenous communities, and anything related to water across the entire university to cover a wide variety of global challenges related to water."
Gamal El-Din adds that the heightened risk of extreme weather events threatening global water supplies, sanitation and infrastructure is accelerating the need to improve wastewater treatment practices and address environmental issues surrounding safe water supplies.
"This could put us on the national and international map, highlighting the research we've been doing for years and putting us in contact with other centres we might end up collaborating with."
