Go With The Flow Spring 2021

SPRING 2021

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ATLANTIC CANADA WATER AND WASTEWATER ASSOCIATION

The Inspiring Resilience of Utilities

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Go With the Flow is published four times yearly by the Atlantic Canada Water & Wastewater Association, Box 28141, Dartmouth, NS B2W 6E2. Copyright 2O21.

SPRING 2021

Atlantic Canada Water & Wastewater Association Box 28141, Dartmouth, NS B2W 6E2 Phone: 902.434.6002 Fax: 902.435.7796 contact@acwwa.ca www.acwwa.ca

Section Office

TABLEof CONTENTS FEATURES

ACWWA Executive Director Clara Shea contact@acwwa.ca 902.434.6002 F: 902.435.7796

Connecting with YPs

19

Board

2020 Virtual Conference a Success

20

Our Bedell Award Recipient for 2020

21

The Inspiring Resilience of Utilities

22

Drinking Water Week: May 2–8, 2021

27

Chair Catherine Cameron scotiatech.main@ns.sympatico.ca 902.468.277 Past Chair Brent McGovern brent.mcgovern@saintjohn.ca 506.658.4455 First Vice-Chair Jason Phillips, P.Eng. jphillips@stjohns.ca 709.576.8934 Second Vice-Chair Vacant Secretary-Treasurer Rob Gillis, P.Eng. robg@halifaxwater.ca 902.497.1740 WEF Delegate (2020–2023) Dave Galbraith dave.galbraith@sansom.ca 902.895.0252 F: 902.893.7584 AWWA Director (2020–2023) Scott Grasman scott.grasman@fredericton.ca 506.460.2020 F: 506.460.2141

www.kelmanonline.com Tel: 866-985-9780 Fax: 866-985-9799 Managing Editor Design/layout Marketing Manager Advertising Co-ordinator

Monique Doyle Tracy Toutant Darrell Harris Jenna Matthes

DEPARTMENTS Message From the Chair

6

AWWA Director’s Report

8

WEF Delegate’s Report

10

CWWA Director’s Report

12

Membership Corner

14

ABEA News

17

News & Notes

24

Back to Fundamentals

30

Advertiser Product & Service Centre

34

Magazine Chair: Julie DiCicco 506.633.5000 Ext. 5402 jdicicco@dillon.ca

On the cover: Huge iceberg in the north Atlantic Ocean,

in Iceberg Alley off the coast of Newfoundland. | dreamstime.com

This document is printed on paper certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®).

ON THE COVER: North shore sandstone cliffs of Prince Edward Island in January. © Verena Matthew

Spring 2021 |

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MESSAGE THECHAIR from

Catherine Cameron (Scotia Tech Fluid Services)

Communication and engagement

A

s you read your latest issue of Go With the Flow magazine I hope you can look out outside and see the signs of spring all around. I am happy to report that it was a busy quarter with ACWWA. It has been a full year now, and we continue to include COVID-19 in our daily plans. COVID-19 has created opportunities for us to grow in ways that we may have been hesitant to fully embrace in the past. Virtual is now a daily word. By moving to a virtual environment we have been able to attend more meetings and greet more people than before, due to time considerations and travel costs being eliminated. I, personally, have been afforded the opportunity to recently attend the Membership Summit, which would typically be attended by two individuals from the ACWWA, but due to the format ACWWA had five attendees. It allowed me the chance to learn, and appreciate, the efforts of our Membership Committee (thanks and congratulations to Julie Stokes and her team). AWWA has begun quarterly Section Chair meetings where we can meet individuals from across North America, and learn and discuss the challenges their sections are encountering, and for sharing to take place.

All of this has led to an unofficial theme for our year – Communication and Engagement. Our strategic planning session, again due to our virtual format, allowed us to include three guest speakers – Grant Ainsley (www.grantainsley.com), David Rager (AWWA representative), and Howard Carter (WEF representative).

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#9-50 Thornhill Drive Dartmouth, NS B3B 1S1 Office: 902.468.2777 Fax: 902.468.2090 scotiatech.tom@ns.sympatico.ca

“It is our reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how the story will develop.”

–Dieter F. Uchtdorf Our education offerings continue to grow and registration is supporting what we know, that people are embracing the online/virtual format. We would like to thank our education partners BCWWA, WWOTC, MTS, and Mueller Canada (Jeff Jensen) for their support/course offerings. The opportunity exists for all suppliers/educators to bring their material forward to be evaluated for CEU consideration. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out at your convenience: scotiatech.main@ns.sympatico.ca or contact@acwwa.com.

We would like to congratulate Carl Yates (Atlantic First Nations Water Authority Interim Chief Executive Officer, previously HRWC) on being chosen the 2021 recipient of the AWWA Abel Wolman Award of Excellence. This award recognizes those whose careers in the water works industry exemplify vision, creativity, and excellent professional performance, characteristic of Abel Wolman’s long and productive career.

The Atlantic Canada Drinking Water Guidelines are another step closer to completion, and the committee will once again be looking for feedback on the current documents/revisions, so please keep an eye on your email for an opportunity to participate.

Spring means scholarship opportunities – ACWWA, ABEA, and MPWWA all have offerings available. I look forward to sharing the recipients in our next publication.

Volunteers are an integral part of any successful organization, and as part of our engagement plan, we would invite anyone interested in sharing their passion and insight for the water industry to drop us a line or contact us at your convenience, so that we might discuss your areas of interest and find a best fit.

In closing, I would like to wish everyone good health and thank our many members for their dedication and service to the industry.

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AWWADirector’sReport

Scott Grasman (City of Fredericton)

Spotlight on cybersecurity

W

elcome to the Spring 2021 edition of ACWWA’s Go With the Flow magazine.

I hope everyone had a good winter, and expect that thoughts are quickly turning to a busy construction season, where focus is placed on maintaining and renewing our critical water infrastructure.

One element of water infrastructure that has made some headlines recently is the SCADA systems many utilities rely upon to help operators monitor and control their potable water and wastewater treatment plants and remote sites.

On February 5, 2021, a cyberattack occurred against a SCADA system at a potable water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida, where the attackers gained remote access to the system and raised the dosage of one of the plant’s treatment chemicals to approximately

100 times the normal concentration.

Thankfully, quick actions from a plant operator prevented this attack from causing serious problems with the safety of the drinking water. It is an unfortunate reality in today’s world that bad actors can and do leverage technology to wreak havoc in all kinds of ways – from data breaches at financial institutions, to identity theft – cyberattacks can make us all vulnerable. Federal agencies in the United States have identified cyberattacks as the top threat facing business and critical infrastructure.

It is critically important that potable water and wastewater utilities ensure that their networks, SCADA systems, and controls are monitored closely and safeguarded as much as possible against this threat.

To that end, AWWA has several helpful resources available to assist utilities with ideas to combat

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| Spring 2021

cyberattacks against their critical infrastructure. Please visit AWWA’s Cybersecurity Resource page at www. awwa.org/Resources-Tools/Resource-Topics/ Risk-Resilience/Cybersecurity-Guidance.

Public Safety Canada also has some important resources relative to this issue. For information on how utilities can develop a response plan to cyberattack incidents, please visit the Public Safety Canada Resource page at www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ dvlpng-ndnt-rspns-pln/index-en.aspx.

In other AWWA news, the Board of Directors held its winter board meeting virtually on January 26. During the meeting, a vote was held to determine AWWA’s next President-Elect. I am pleased to report that Joseph Jacangelo of the Virginia Section was elected to this position. His term as PresidentElect will begin at ACE21 in San Diego.

As of this writing, AWWA intends to proceed with ACE21 as both an in-person and virtual event. Check the AWWA website for all the latest information relative to ACE, and other AWWA online education opportunities.

The Board also approved an extension to the ad-hoc committee studying an enterprise membership model for utilities. The committee intends to present a final report to the board for consideration during meetings at ACE21.

ACWWA’s website remains a great resource for educational opportunities in our region. Even though we are still working through a pandemic, it’s critical that we continue with educational offerings for our operators.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve our Section. Please feel free to contact me with any AWWA-related questions or concerns at scott.grasman@ fredericton.ca.

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Registration Now Open!

Experience ACE Your Way in 2021 Join us in person or online Wherever you are in the world, you can now register to attend AWWA’s Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE) in person in San Diego OR online from your home or office. However you choose to participate, you’ll find a forum for you and your colleagues to responsibly gather for the premier education, timely insight, and networking you need to solve the water sector’s immediate and future challenges together.

Co-hosted by the California-Nevada AWWA Section

Learn more at awwa.org/ace

June 13–16 | San Diego, CA #AWWAACE

APS

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email: sales@aps.ns.ca

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email: ryan@aps.ns.ca

Celebrating 50 years ser ving Atlantic Canada Click HERE to return to Table of Contents

Spring 2021 |

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WEFDelegate’sReport

Dave Galbraith (Sansom Equipment Ltd.)

Opportunities to stay connected

W

ith spring just around the corner, it is time to get out and enjoy some Vitamin “N” – Nature.

Most of us are likely getting a little “shack wacky” with cabin fever and are tired of being indoors working from the dining room table, kitchen table, bedroom, the garage – or wherever your temporary home office might be set up during the pandemic. Some others are fortunate, being able to go to their office and practice social distancing and continue as normal as possible.

Being an essential worker (supplier of equipment that keeps the water moving) I consider myself fortunate to be able to move about with cautious freedom and not be stuck “in the house” all the time. I am also very aware that I must be diligent by wearing a mask everywhere outside of my truck going to a jobsite or even to get my groceries.

I have my bottle of hand sanitizer on the door of my truck that gets used frequently in and out of my vehicle.

I am not unique in saying that I am looking forward to the ability to shake someone’s hand when I meet them in person without having to “sanitize” afterwards. Someday, once the vaccines roll out we will be there again. But until that time we must continue to have “Teams” and Zoom meetings for the next foreseeable future.

In saying that, WEF has lots of opportunities to meet virtually with like-minded people, especially those who still want to relate and stay connected with others in the water sector. There are many online courses and events available now. The ACWWA has a lot of training opportunities on their website at www.acwwa.ca – just click and take a look.

There are some up and coming WEF online events available that you should try to attend… I have included some details below.

In a normal year (are we tired of hearing that yet?) we would have a WEFMAX in-person event. (WEFMAX stands for Water Environment Federation Member Association Exchange).

Each year there are four host cities for a WEFMAX Event. As it turns out, the ACWWA was supposed to host a WEFMAX in Charlottetown, PEI in 2021. However, all 2021 WEFMAX events will be virtual this year. The ACWWA is hosting WEFMAX #4, which will take place online May 27, 2021 – see the link and information below.

You are welcome to join! For more info on WEFMAX, visit www.wef.org/membership/wef-memberassociations/wefmax.

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| Spring 2021

Virtual WEFMAX YP Summit WEFMAX 2021 YP Summit Hosted by the Pacific Northwest CWA, Atlantic Canada WWA, and Pennsylvania WEA Young Professionals.

April 21, 2021 | 2:00–4:00 pm ET (starts 3:00 pm Atlantic, 3:30 pm NL) Registration: on the Zoom platform Stay tuned for more details.

Virtual 2021 WEFMAX #4 WEFMAX hosted by the Atlantic Canada Water & Wastewater Association May 27, 2021 | 2:00–4:30 pm ET Social event 4:30–5:00 pm ET Starts 3:00 pm Atlantic, 3:30 NL time Registration: www.wef.org/membership/wef-member-associations/wefmax on Zoom WEFMAX Program Host topic: ACWWA – IDE Survey Results (presented by Dr. Jennie Rand) WEFMAX topics: 1) Making the Most of your Virtual Conference 2) MA Engagement with Academic Institutions Social: Join ACWWA for some networking and engaging fun!

Starts at 5:30 pm Atlantic, 6:00 pm NL We will have a very special Guest Speaker lined up – a famous Canadian who will enlighten us on diversity and inclusion with a First Nations background. Top secret who it is… you will need to be online to experience this person take you through an emotional roller coaster of thoughtprovoking ideas, laughter, and perhaps a few tears. You do not want to miss this unique opportunity.

Questions: Host Coordinator: Dave Galbraith WEF Staff: Dianne Crilley (dcrilley@wef.org)

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CWWADirector’sReport

John Lam (Atlantic First Nations Water Authority)

A year of change

I

t goes without saying that 2020 was a year that changed the world. It would obviously be outside of the scope of this column to mention all the changes. On a personal level, I went from working in the provincial government as a regulator to a brandnew water utility at the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority (AFNWA).

I was employee number four. There have been a number of presentations and articles about the AFNWA so I assume you might have heard about us. If not, please check us out. At the same time as my change in career (some might rightly add the word “again” to this), I changed my portfolio to the Government Relations Director for the ACWWA. I am taking this opportunity to share my learning about this position and the role I am supposed to play.

As a Director of Government Relations, I represent ACWWA on the board of the Canadian Water & Wastewater Association (CWWA).

This column will provide a forum to share the happenings at the national level through the lens of the CWWA. Some of the highlights of activities at CWWA: COVID-19 • With the roll-out of the vaccine underway, CWWA will be lobbying to have water and wastewater workers recognized as critical frontline workers. I know a number of utilities taking steps to separate workers into shifts that are isolated from other shifts, to prevent spreading of the virus if someone gets exposed to it. The vaccine will certainly assist in keeping our members safer and assure us of continuity of services.

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| Spring 2021

• The CWWA office remains closed due to the pandemic and all staff are working from home, but work has definitely not slowed down.

Website • CWWA launched its new website just before the pandemic hit.

Due to budget restraints, the website was created completely in-house, and some features had to be deferred. Keep checking the website because new information is regularly posted to the site.

• CWWA will continue to post updates and resources related to COVID-19 to the CWWA website at www.cwwa.ca.

Conferences • The 2020 National Water and Wastewater Conference (NWWC) was held as a series of webinars on the theme of Towards a Sustainable Utility. Of course, we all miss the travel to conferences and meeting with old and new colleagues. Such is the disappointment during a pandemic. Having said that, the best part is that it makes it accessible for people to attend the virtual conference who may not have had the opportunity to attend these in person. The NWWC approach was brilliant; webinars were scheduled for Wednesdays between January and February. Technically the 2020 conference was held in 2021 but we should cut them some slack here. The technical content presented was top notch. The video recordings of the sessions are available to registered participants.

• The Window on Ottawa and Canadian Water Summit will be in June 2021. This will be organized

by CWWA and Water Canada to plan a week of water-related programming. It will be a hybrid event with in-person and virtual attendance options available.

• The NWWC 2021 will be held in Niagara Falls in November. The hope by many, including the organizers, is that this can be an in-person event. Keep your fingers crossed that things (like the restrictions on travel and gathering limits) will ease by then.

I am hopeful that attendees can also attend remotely/virtually.

Stay tuned.

• The IWA’s World Water Congress & Exhibition was set for October in Copenhagen, then shifted to May 2021, and is now planned for October 2022. Of course, as a result, the Toronto 2022 event will be bumped to 2024.

Advocacy • CWWA is working closely with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to support their communications regarding water/wastewater. FCM has been distributing all of the CWWA releases and reports to their membership. In turn, FCM has been leading the effort to lobby the federal government for significant financial support for municipalities suffering tremendous revenue losses related to the coronavirus.

• The high-priority projects under the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) program were to be completed in 2020. Some of

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these projects were delayed due to local zoning, financing, and construction delays due to the pandemic. CWWA has been calling for the federal government to recognize these delays as being out of the proponents’ control and to appreciate the genuine efforts of our members. Following discussions with CWWA and the FCM, Environment and Climate Change Canada introduced an amendment to allow a new round of Transitional Agreements for the remaining communities.

• The federal government continues efforts to establish the Canada Water Agency. This agency, working under the Minister of ECCC, is intended to align the work that occurs across numerous federal departments and agencies, to move toward a more focused national water strategy.

CWWA has been supporting the establishment of this new agency through submissions to the Minister and Prime Minister, while identifying the CWWA as the voice of the utility sector.

• CWWA is working with a coalition of water and environmental organizations to advise the federal government.

Research • The guidance document Towards a Sustainable Utility is due out late in March, online. To reinforce the concept, this was also the theme of the 2020 National Water and Wastewater Conference.

• The Canadian Water Network has been leading a Canadian Coalition on Wastewater-Related COVID-19 Research. CWWA supports this coalition, which coordinates the efforts of all the researchers and municipal utilities conducting wastewater surveillance. This was one of the topics at a recent CWWA national webinar.

• The Efficiency Committee of CWWA is supporting a national

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survey with the CWN to gather information concerning water softeners. Stay tuned for developments.

• CWWA signed a complaint that was lodged by the Friends of the Earth Canada (an environmental organization), with the federal Competition Bureau identifying

misleading marketing on products inappropriately labeled as flushable. The issue of flushable wipes in wastewater systems is a huge problem that can be avoided.

Meanwhile, the International Water Services Flushability Group released a new Publicly Available Specification in December 2020.

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Spring 2021 |

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MEMBERSHIPCorner

Julie Stokes (ACWWA Membership Director)

Putting a focus on networking

W

e want to begin by saying thank you to all of our members for their support during our first virtual Annual Conference. Like most things during the pandemic, our AWWA Membership Summit was held virtually this year. Clara Shea and I had the pleasure of representing ACWWA at the Summit that was held January 27–29. It is always a great learning opportunity as we have the opportunity to meet with membership committee members from across North America and get to share ideas and knowledge. This year was no different, if not more important, as we were all able to share ideas on how to better serve our members during the pandemic.

At the Membership Summit, we also accepted an award on behalf of the Atlantic Canada Water and Wastewater Association for having achieved our first year member

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| Spring 2021

retention goals. This could not be possible without our membership committee, which is comprised of Gabriel Belliveau, Melissa Fraser, Sean Chillibeck, as well as our members. Thank you!

In discussions with our members this past year, it seems that networking is what is missed the most during the pandemic. Our committee will be working towards a few events that hopefully help our members get to do a bit of networking in a virtual social event setting.

This upcoming year, the membership committee will continue to expand on our member networking opportunities to help with member engagement, look at holding a few virtual social events, continue with our annual photo contest, and help move social media forward within our Association.

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Welcome new members Name

Organization

Matt Nicholson Stephen Hallett Idania Carcamo

Gemtec Gemtec Gemtec Town of Grand FallsChad Clendenning Windsor Atlantic Policy Congress James Mackinnon of First Nations Chiefs Atlantic First Adam Gould Nations Water Atlantic First Nations Water Joe McInnis Nova Scotia Power Inc. Atlantic First Gurpreet Singh Nations Water Christopher Milley Town of Paradise Al Fraser County of Inverness Brennan Gillis County of Inverness David Miller County of Inverness Heidi Hunt County of Inverness

Membership AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA

Name

Organization

Lionel Clarke Mark Copley Rachelle Hinkley Chestley Carr Trudy Gillis Patrick Kiely

County of Inverness County of Inverness County of Inverness County of Inverness County of Inverness Island Water Tech Government of Nova Scotia

Denis Tuffs Erica Hart Laura Leger Marc Colwell Lindsay Anderson

Membership

Englobe Corp City of Fredericton Dalhousie University

AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA AWWA WEF WEF WEF WEF WEF WEF

As of February 15, 2021 Total AWWA active members: 408 Total active WEF members: 111 Don’t forget the “refer a member” contest for a chance to win a $50 gift card of your choice.

Did you know?

Even though we are in a pandemic, ACWWA continues to offer many courses virtually. Please check out www.acwwa.ca/education/acwwa-courses today to benefit from these great training opportunities.

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Spring 2021 |

| 15

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ABEANews

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H

ere we are, one year in, and still finding our way with COVID-19 as our new partner – there is no avoiding it, so we felt some light humour might help make us smile and remind us of everything we have to be grateful for – our glass is always half full!

TOP TEN WATER JOKES 1. On a flight, off on holiday. The cabin crew member asked what I wanted to drink.

“Water.”

“Still?”

“Well, I haven’t changed my mind…”

5. What did the bottled water tell the spy?

The name’s bond, Hydrogen bond.

6. Love watching running water on the internet?

Watch a live stream.

7. Why do SCUBA divers fall backwards into the water?

Because if they fell forward, they would still be in the boat.

8. If H2O is the formula for water, what is the formula for ice?

H2O cubed.

3. What happens when you get water on a table?

It becomes a pool table.

9. Knock knock!

Who’s there?

Water.

Water who?

Water you waiting for? Open the door!

4. What runs, but never walks?

Water!

10. What did the sink say to the water faucet?

You’re a real drip.

2. H20 is water, but what is H204?

It’s for swimming and drinking, of course.

2020/2021 host suppliers Atlantic Branch Equipment Association

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the suppliers who support the ABEA and its many endeavours.

Contact information for our members, and applications for our Scholarship and Grant Program, can be found at www.ABEA.biz.

ADS Atlantic Purification Systems Ltd. Anthrafilter Aqua Data Atlantic Avensys Armour Valve Ltd. BioMAXX Wastewater Solutions Birksco-Aqualoader Bibby Ste-Croix Concord Supply Clow Canada Cambridge Brass Campbell’s Concrete Canada Pipe Coastal Controls & Instrumentation

Landmark Liberty Pumps Magnor Maritime Infrastructure Technologies McLennan Sales Mueller Canada Napco-Royal Neptune Technology Group Nulantic Opus International Consultants Ltd. Omnitech Pro-Line Fittings Prominent Pure Technologies The Panel Shop PR/SPE Sinoco

Chemline Plastics DLR Piping Solutions Denso NA-Can Denyg Mechanical EEP Technical Solutions Ford Meter Box Flowstar Ind. Galaxy Plastics Gorman Rupp Greatario Storage Systems HACH H2Flow Hetek Ipex Inc. Integrity Pipeline Products John Brooks Company Ltd. Kemtag Enterprises Ltd. K&D Pratt

Current ABEA Board: President – Andrew Duguay Vice-President – Matthew Manning Sr. Director – vacant Jr. Director – vacant Past-President – Mike McDonah Sec./Treasurer – Kyle Gracie Director/Liaison – Catherine Cameron

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ShadComm Ltd. Sansom Equipment Scotia Tech Saunders SIGMA Corp.

Soleno Star Pipe Canada Inc. Sensus (KTI) Sulzer Veronics Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Wolseley Waterworks Atlantic WWOTC Xylem

Your ABEA members are still available and there to assist with all of your needs – let’s stay connected in 2021.

www.abea.biz Spring 2021 |

| 17

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onnecting with YPs L

ast October, I began transitioning into the Young Professional Chair position, which was previously held by Lindsay Anderson (now Membership Involvement Director). Over the past four years, Lindsay has done an excellent job creating a YP program that connected water professionals across Atlantic Canada through social, networking, and leadership development events – thanks for all your work, Lindsay! That being said, I’m hoping to build off of her legacy during my time as the YP Chair and am looking forward to getting the chance to work with all of you!

Now that you’ve learned a bit about what I want to do, you’re probably wondering who I am. My name is Isobel DeMont and I’m a PhD student in Civil and Resource Engineering at Dalhousie University. I have an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill, after which I switched disciplines and completed my MASc in Environmental Engineering at Dalhousie.

I loved Dalhousie and Halifax so much, I decided to stick around for a few more years for a PhD. My research interests are drinking water treatment optimization, but I’m particularly drawn to tackling the challenges we’re facing in the industry due to climate change. I’ve been a member of AWWA/ACWWA since 2018, but this is my first time in a leadership role.

There were some dramatic changes to the 2020 Annual Conference and YP seminar because of the pandemic. Instead of the typical Fresh Ideas competition, we opted for 3 Minute Thesis style presentations. This style of presentation is especially beneficial for early researchers, giving them a chance to take a step back from the small details and consider the motive of their project and the story they want to tell. At our first virtual annual conference, we had six YPs present their work on topics ranging from the use of artificial neural networks to predict drinking water advisories, to pilot plant optimization studies for drinking water and wastewater plants. Dalhousie MASc student Gillian Stanton said of the experience, “The 3MT program gave

me the opportunity to think of my future research and communicate quickly why it is important for everyone to be interested! My presentation was more of a ‘pitch’ than a summary of data and work. It allowed me to take a step back, simplify my objectives, and motivate me to start the project.” Overall, we received such amazing feedback from the event that we’re planning additional 3 Minute Thesis events in the near future. If you would like to present, please contact me at isobel@dal.ca. We welcome YPs from all backgrounds to participate in these events!

In terms of additional upcoming events, World Water Day falls on Monday, March 22 this year. This is an important day to reflect on our privileged and easy access to safe and clean drinking water. On average, women and girls in developing countries walk 6km every day to collect water. The YP and Water For People committees are challenging ACWWA members to help support this cause by walking/running 6 km every day for six days, starting on March 22. More information on this event will be posted on the ACWWA website (www.acwwa.ca), Twitter (@ACWWA and @ACWWAyp), and Facebook (@TheACWWA) accounts.

On April 21, WEFMAX – in partnership with the ACWWA, the Pennsylvania Water Environment, Association, and the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association – is hosting a virtual YP Summit open for water professionals across North America. The summit will focus on leadership and the pathways for YPs into larger roles within their organizations. It’s shaping up to be an exciting event, so I highly recommend all YPs to tune in! A registration link will be sent out to our members and posted on our website, Twitter, and Facebook accounts when it becomes available.

While we do have some exciting events coming up, we’re always looking for new ideas – especially activities that can connect our YPs from across all of the Atlantic provinces! If you’re interested in volunteering with the committee, or have some suggestions for future programming, please reach out to me at isobel@dal.ca!

“We received such amazing feedback from the event that we’re planning additional 3 Minute Thesis events in the near future.”

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2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

W

e are pleased to announce that our first-ever virtual conference has been a great success! We would like to thank all attendees for their support and we hope you all enjoyed the conference.

We also would like to thank all of our sponsors, who have made this event possible.

A special THANK YOU also goes out to Trihedral VT Scada and their staff for hosting this event.

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Congratulations to our BEDELL AWARD RECIPIENT FOR 2020!

Due to COVID-19, the only award presented for 2020 was the Bedell Award.

The Bedell Award is awarded by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and may be presented every three years to a member of ACWWA to acknowledge extraordinary service to a WEF Member Association. The award is named for Arthur Sidney Bedell, WEF’s second president, for his long devotion and service to the New York Sewage and Industrial Wastes Association, now the New York Water Environment Association. He was Chief of the Bureau of Sewage and Waste Disposal of the New York State Department of Health. The award was first awarded by ACWWA in 2009.

2020 RECIPIENT: Michael Abbott, CBCL

Recognizing Past Chair – BRENT MCGOVERN Each year, the ACWWA provides the past chair with a recognition award to thank them for their service as Chair of ACWWA. This year, the award was presented to Brent McGovern. Thank you, Brent, for your contribution to the organization!

Michael Abbott, CBCL

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The Inspiring Resilience of Utilities

By Robert Haller, Executive Director, Canadian Water and Wastewater Association

W

e have heard this word ‘resilience’ a lot in our industry, so maybe we should start by defining it. The Oxford dictionary defines it as “the ability of people or things to recover quickly after something unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc.” but it goes on with “the ability of a substance to return to its original shape after it has been bent, stretched or pressed.” That just about defines this unpleasant year!

We have all been bent, stretched, and pressed to our limits by this pandemic… yet our Canadian utilities have maintained a steady supply of safe drinking water and managed our wastewater to protect our communities.

Of course some were better prepared than others with stockpiles

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| Spring 2021

of supplies, and those with good Emergency Plans managed the start of this pandemic better. But few, if any, had an exact plan to deal with a pandemic of this scale. We had plans for earthquakes, floods, and ice storms, but not for a pandemic like this. So we have all been dealing with this day to day, adapting, reacting, and adapting again… learning on the job, as they’d say. The resilience of Canada’s utilities has been truly inspiring.

The whole world was moving into lockdown mode, but utilities could not shut down; we had to keep all systems operating to provide the water and wastewater services our communities needed to stay home, to run our hospitals, maintain businesses, and more. Very quickly, all workers in support roles (administration, billing,

management) were sent home and procedures rapidly established to allow them to work from home. Of course, operators cannot really work from home. So utilities had to figure out how to keep their operators safe and respect the physical distancing requirements being set by provincial and local health authorities. Crews were divided into ‘cohorts’ (another great COVID-19 word) to reduce the potential infection of an entire workforce – you might have one team go down, but not everyone.

Operators were directed to ‘shelter at home,’ which is basically a selfimposed quarantine. Many utilities arranged extra support for these workers like grocery delivery to keep them, and their families, out of the stores. Others made arrangements to shelter operators on-site at the

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treatment plant, and at least one utility implemented this plan for a period of time.

Inside the plant, procedures were immediately developed for added hygiene, staggered arrivals, meals, and departures, and limitations within the plant to keep workers distanced.

For those working outside the plant, workers travelled in separate trucks, used their own vehicles, or had trucks rigged with plexiglass for separation. Before commencing a shift, workers were required to answer a questionnaire on virus symptoms and/ or have their temperature taken. Very clear protocols were developed for any interactions with the public, especially for entering any homes, which was to be only under emergency situations.

Indeed, our whole relationship with our customers had to be adapted. We needed to quickly review our service delivery levels and expectations under the new reality. We saw reduced industrial water use, but increased residential use, and major shifts in prime demand hours – all requiring adjustments to operational plans and financial forecasts. Those with AMI and advanced digital capabilities had some definite advantages for remote monitoring, meter reading, analysis, and adaptation.

We learned that clear and consistent communication was critical during these frightening times. Our customers needed to know that their tap water was safe. We needed to remind them that it is unsafe for them to flush anything but the 3 Ps (pee, poop, toilet paper). When public buildings and businesses began to reopen following prolonged closure, we were called upon to advise them on safely flushing their systems – and we were able to provide the information they needed. As we know, many of our customers faced reduced employment or lost their livelihoods completely during this pandemic. All utilities needed to revisit their collection plans, deferrals, and forgiveness programs in order to work with their customers.

Now, ensuring the continuity of a utility is much more than just keeping the plants and pipes operating – it requires major maintenance, infrastructure replacement, and new

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growth projects. All construction projects halted for a significant period of time at the beginning. When we were able to commence infrastructure work, COVID-19 protocols required work site separations, which dramatically slow down construction.

So all priorities had to be reconsidered based on critical urgency and financial forecasts. Which projects could be safely deferred, and which were too risky to ignore? Which could we contractually delay and which could not be deferred?

Perhaps what was most inspiring is ‘how’ this resilience occurred – through open sharing and collaboration. Many of these new procedures and protocols were developed by multiple utilities working on problem-solving together. So many resources were posted from international water associations like Water Environment Federation, American Water Works Association, and the International Water Association, then more Canadian resources from the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA)

and the Canadian Water Network (CWN). Then both CWWA and CWN facilitated open discussion amongst Canada’s water leaders to share their ideas and to collaborate on finding workable solutions. Hopefully, no utility felt that it was alone when developing the pandemic reaction plans for their own utility.

More importantly, that spirit of collaboration had to exist ‘within’ the utility if any of these efforts were going to work. Again, it was inspiring, but not at all surprising, to see the tremendous commitment of the workers and their unions to support the cooperation required to create and implement all these new procedures so quickly. With provincial support, we saw the flexibility we needed to welcome recent retirees back to work and allow managers to reactivate their operator tickets.

Collaboration with local health units ensured clear and consistent messaging to our communities.

We certainly learned a lot of lessons this year, but we learned them together.

1986 2021

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News&Notes

Statement from AWWA CEO David LaFrance on cyberattack in Florida Source: AWWA.org The Pinellas County Sheriff ’s Department in Florida reports that on Feb. 5 a hacker accessed the water treatment system in Oldsmar, Fla. AWWA Chief Executive Officer David LaFrance issued the below statement regarding the cyberattack.

The Feb. 5 hacking incident on a Florida water utility is a jarring reminder that the threat of cyberattacks on critical water infrastructure is both real and serious. We live in a world where cyber intrusions are increasingly common in our personal and professional lives.

Given the essential nature of water service, it’s well known that water infrastructure – and water treatment plants of all sizes -- are potential targets of people with bad intentions.

While the Florida incident is unsettling, there are some

takeaways that should bring us confidence. First, while the hacker was able to gain access, it appears a vigilant water operator thwarted any potential harm. There’s no clearer demonstration that water professionals are essential workers, and the work they do each day protects us all.

Second, the incident makes clear to all water utilities and governing boards that they must take action to prevent or discourage similar attacks. The water sector has been actively addressing cybersecurity issues for many years.

In fact, the 2018 America’s Water Infrastructure Act requires utilities to complete a risk and resiliency assessment that must include cyber threats to enterprise systems and process control systems. This incident should underscore the urgency of that work.

Third, we are not powerless against cyber threats. There are resources available to help utilities of all sizes. AWWA’s Water Sector Cybersecurity Risk Management Guidance and the accompanying assessment tool are free at www.awwa. org/cybersecurity, as is the Cybersecurity Risk & Responsibility in the Water Sector report and many other helpful eLearning opportunities and documents.

Federal agencies define cyberattacks as the top threat facing business and critical infrastructure. February’s incident demonstrates why.

Let this incident be a constant reminder of the importance of round-the-clock cybersecurity vigilance in the days and decades ahead.

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AWWA Board of Directors selects Joseph Jacangelo of Lovettsville, Va., as next president-elect Source: AWWA.org The American Water Works Association’s Board of Directors today selected Joseph Jacangelo of Lovettsville, Va., as the Association’s next presidentelect. Four vice presidents and a director-at-large were also selected during the Board’s annual winter meeting.

Jacangelo will begin his term as president-elect in June at the conclusion of AWWA’s Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE21), and his term as president begins in June 2022.

He follows current presidentelect Chi Ho Sham.

Jacangelo has been a member of AWWA for over 35 years and is an active member of the Virginia Section. He recently served as the chair of the International Council and is vice president and director of research for Stantec in Washington, D.C. The Board selected the following four vice presidents: • Angela Ballard-Landers, an AWWA member for over 20 years, is director of the Chesapeake Section. She is the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Coordinator for WSSC Water (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission) in Laurel, Md. • Randy Black, an AWWA member for 30 years, has held several leadership positions at the Pacific Northwest Section, including currently the Pacific Northwest Director.

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He is the general manager of the Lakewood Water District in Washington.

• Heather Collins, an AWWA member for over 25 years, is director of the California/ Nevada Section. She is the water treatment section manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in Los Angeles.

• Cheryl Porter, an AWWA member for 15 years, is a director-at-large and a member of the Finance Committee. She is the chief

operating officer of the Great Lakes Water Authority in Detroit.

The Board also selected Ari Copeland as a director-at-large.

Copeland has been an AWWA member for 15 years and currently serves as a member of the Diversity and Membership Inclusion Committee. He is an operations specialist at Black & Veatch in Kansas City, Mo. All the new officers will begin their terms in June at the conclusion of ACE21.

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Spring 2021 |

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News&Notes

Call for papers open for AWWA Water Science special issue on PFAS Bridging the gap between theory and practice for safe, sustainable water Source: AWWA.org The American Water Works Association (AWWA) will publish an upcoming topical collection in AWWA Water Science to capture the present state of the science on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) analytical methods and approaches to their treatment and disposal. Manuscripts can be submitted for consideration by April 16.

The topical collection aims to provide a forum to improve understanding of the challenges and solutions related to PFAS analytical methods and treatment and to capture knowledge gaps to chart a course for future research.

The topical collection is being organized by guest editors Michelle Crimi, and Tom Speth. Crimi has been the principal investigator (PI) or co-PI for several research projects focused on treating emerging contaminants. Speth has researched water treatment for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since 1986. He also served as a Trustee for AWWA’s Water Quality & Technology Division, associate editor of Journal of Environmental Engineering and as a member of Journal AWWA’s editorial advisory board. He is currently

serving on AWWA’s Water Science and Research Division as Past Chair.

“This is an exciting opportunity and it is timely to showcase technologies and approaches that will serve our practicing community to better understand and address an array of PFAS challenges,” said Crimi.

“The upcoming collection of work will be of great help for those utilities that are dealing with PFAS and will serve as a benchmark for defining future data needs for the industry,” said Speth.

In addition to general research topics related to the state of the science of PFAS, submitted topics may include: • Occurrence of PFAS in source waters and wastewaters • Novel detection / sensor approaches or devices • Novel analytical approaches • Fate and transport of PFAS • Long-term costs of treatment technologies • Comparative assessment of treatment technologies • Effectiveness of novel treatment technologies • Treatment of residuals streams • Effects and co-removal of other contaminants during PFAS treatment

• Regulatory requirements and compliance • Unintended consequences of treatment selections • Socioeconomic aspects of residuals disposal • Communications and outreach Editorial questions, manuscript preparation or technical questions can be sent to aws@awwa.org.

GUEST EDITORS: Michelle Crimi, PhD – Clarkson University Thomas F. Speth, PhD, PE – US Environmental Protection Agency ASSOCIATE GUEST EDITORS: Zaid K. Chowdhury, PhD – Garver Eric Dickenson, PhD – Southern Nevada Water Authority Jennifer Guelfo, PhD – Texas Tech University Detlef Knappe, PhD – North Carolina State University Andrea Leeson, PhD – Department of Defense Jinxia Liu, PhD – McGill University AWWA Water Science is an interdisciplinary journal that publishes original, refereed (peerreviewed) research on the science, engineering, and social aspects of water.

SEND YOUR NEWS ITEMS TO: Julie DiCicco, ACWWA Magazine Chair

Julie DiCicco | jdicicco@dillon.ca

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What Is Drinking Water Week?

For more than 40 years, the American Water Works Association and its members have used Drinking Water Week as a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.

This year's recognition will be May 2–8, 2021.

For questions about Drinking Water Week, contact Dave Gaylinn in the AWWA Communications Department, at dgaylinn@awwa.org.

Our concern for the environment is more than just talk

This publication is printed on Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified paper with vegetable oil-based inks.

Please do your part for the environment by reusing and recycling.

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ENHANCE YOUR SAFETY TRAINING WITH VIDEO STREAMING AWWA’s Safety First channel provides effective and professional safety training through videoon-demand streaming, making it easy to train anywhere, anytime. These high-resolution videos provide comprehensive and engaging safety training on a large variety of topics, all specifically focused for water utilities.

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Comprehensive. These professional videos provide complete and engaging training on critical safety topics.

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Spring 2021 |

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BACKtoFundamentals

Ammonia, nitrification, and nitrogen

By Kyle MacIntyre, Dillon Consulting

N

itrogen and ammonia are common contaminants of concern in many wastewater discharge approvals across Canada. There are a number of reasons for this, which include: • Depletion of dissolved oxygen in the receiving environment; • Contribution to algal blooms; • Acute and chronic fish toxicity; • Change in receiving water pH; and, • Increase in the bacteria count in the final effluent through nitrifying organisms.

Nutrient recovery and re-use is also an emerging practice.

All of these items mean that water/wastewater professionals should have at least a basic knowledge of ammonia, and how it might affect their day-to-day work. Ammonia is typically generated in wastewater systems through industrial discharges, agricultural runoff and, of course, human/ animal waste. It can be oxidized through the process of nitrification, and has a complex chemical cycle. Depending on the temperature, pH, and physical condition, it can take on a variety of forms and states within water.

There are several forms of nitrogen that the wastewater industry focuses on. Typically, these are: Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Total Ammonia, and Total Nitrogen.

Additional species include nitrate/nitrite, organic nitrogen, and inorganic nitrogen. Ammonia can also be further divided into ionized versus unionized fractions, with unionized the most commonly used in evaluating treatment plant effluent and its effect on the receiving water.

In municipal applications, ammonia is typically treated through the nitrification process. This is a two-step process: Step 1: Ammonia (NH3) to Nitrite (NO2-), via nitrosomonas bacteria Step 2: Nitrite (NO2-) to Nitrate (NO3-), via nitrobacter bacteria

Percent un-ionized aqueous ammonia solutions for 0-30ºC and pH 6-10 (Emerson et al. 1975)

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These two organisms, known as autotrophs, do not compete as well with those that consume cBOD (known as heterotrophs). This means that in order to have noticeable nitrification, cBOD needs to be adequately reduced prior. In partially nitrified effluent, you will have a mix of nitrate and nitrite depending on the influent characteristics, environmental conditions, and hydraulic retention time.

The following general conditions are usually needed in order to allow for proper nitrification: • Low cBOD (max 30 mg/L) • High DO (3 mg/L) • Sufficient alkalinity (at least 50 mg/L) • Warmer temperature (at least 15o C) • Sufficient HRT/SRT • Management of ammonia levels to prevent ammonia toxicity In terms of total nitrogen, while the Federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) only regulates unionized ammonia; this is considered the minimum and

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XOD mg/L Bulk Density lbs/gal.

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provincial regulators may enforce stricter Total Nitrogen/ nutrient limits. In these cases, denitrification (nitrate to nitrogen gas) may be a solution. Nitrified water is exposed to anoxic (no oxygen) conditions, which forces the bacteria to use nitrate as an oxidizing agent and release nitrogen gas to the atmosphere as a by-product.

A concentrated carbon source for use as food, such as methanol, ethanol, or propriety chemicals like MicroC, are also required to maintain adequate denitrification levels. If these conditions are not present, nitrate will remain relatively stable in its current form.

There are a number of treatment technologies that can either be adapted or designed solely for ammonia removal.

Some examples of applications considered suitable include: • Integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) • Moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) • Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) • Membrane bioreactor (MBR) • Submerged attached growth reactor (SAGR) • Aerated lagoon

One consideration critical to designing the above processes for ammonia removal is to ensure that the oxygen supply blowers are adequately sized. The oxygen demand to remove ammonia is approximately 4.6 lbs of oxygen for every 1 lb of ammonia, compared to cBOD, which is 1.5 lb/lb. It is also important that nitrification is modelled in areas of the bioreactor where cBOD has been adequately decreased to permit the nitrifying bacteria to flourish.

Have ideas for the next edition? Email your Back to Fundamentals questions to kmacintyre@dillon.ca.

The Back to Fundamentals department is published in each edition of Go With the Flow magazine. It is intended to cover a broad range of fundamental water and wastewater topics that will be driven by you, the readers of this magazine.

If you find a topic particularly interesting or confusing, most likely others will as well.

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Spring 2021 |

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GO THE FLOW with

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ATLANTIC CANADA WATER AND WASTEWATER ASSOCIATION

SPRING 2021

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ATLANTIC CANADA WATER AND WASTEWATER ASSOCIATION

INTERACTIVE EDITION AVAILABLE ONLINE

PM# 40065075 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to lauren@kelman.ca

The Inspiring Resilience of Utilities

INSIDE:

With print and electronic communication operating hand-in-hand, you can take advantage of the fact that GO WITH THE FLOW magazine is available online in a highly interactive format.

• Our Bedell Award Recipient for 2020 • Ammonia, Nitrification, and Nitrogen

Issuu is the digital publishing platform chosen by millions to convert content into high-quality assets for digital distribution across web, social and more. The user-friendly digital Issuu includes: 1. Active hyper-links to all websites and emails contained in the publication 2. Active links to the specific stories from the front cover and contents page 3. Active links to advertiser websites from their ads

VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.ACWWA.CA

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halifaxwater.ca

To reach Atlantic Canada’s water industry professionals through Go With The Flow magazine and its targeted readership, contact Darrell at your earliest convenience to discuss your company’s promotional plans.

Darrell Harris, Marketing Manager 1-877-985-9793 | darrell@kelman.ca Click HERE to return to Table of Contents

Spring 2021 |

| 33

ADVERTISER PRODUCT&SERVICECENTRE

Go With The Flow is made possible by the companies below who convey their important messages on our pages. We thank them for their support of ACWWA and its publication and encourage you to contact them when making your purchasing decisions. To make it easier to contact these companies, we have included the page number of their advertisement, their phone number, and, where applicable, their website. You can also go to the electronic version of Go With The Flow at www.acwwa.ca and access direct links to any of these companies.

Company

Page

Phone

Anthrafilter

31

519-751-1080

www.anthrafilter.net

APS

9

902-469-2806

www.aps.ns.ca

Aqua Data Atlantic

30

902-468-9447

www.aquadata.com

Atlantic Backflow Specialists Ltd.

33

902-499-7745

www.atlanticbackflow.com

AWI (Antratech Western Inc.)

4

403-255-7377

www.awifilter.com

Belzona Atlantic Canada

28

902-789-0479

www.belzonaatlantic.com

Blue-White Industries, Ltd.

18

714-893-8529

www.blue-white.com

Campbell's Concrete Ltd.

3

902-368-3442

www.campbellsconcretepei.com

Cancoppas Limited

28

905-569-6246

www.cancoppas.com

CBCL Limited

21

902-421-7241

www.cbcl.ca

Clow Canada

32

905-548-9604

www.clowcanada.com

Concord Supply

28

877-436-3800

www.concordsupply.ca

Denso North America Inc.

24

416-291-3435

www.densona.com

EEP Technical Solutions

7

800-665-3848

www.eep.ca

EDI – A Nexom Brand

11

573-474-9456 | 888-426-8180

EXP Services Inc.

20

506-452-9000

www.exp.com

Ford Meter Box Company

8

260-563-3171

www.fordmeterbox.com

Flowstar Industrial

15

902-896-0041

www.flowstarind.ca

23, 27

519-469-8169

www.greatario.com

Halifax Water

33

902-490-4840

www.halifaxwater.ca

Huntley's Sub-Aqua Construction

15

902-678-7234

www.huntleyssubaqua.ca

Liberty Pumps

35

800-543-2550

www.libertypumps.com

McLennan Sales, Division of EMCO Corporation

28

506-634-3112

www.mclennansales.com

Mueller Co.

36

800-423-1323

www.muellercompany.com

Neptune Technology Group Inc.

13

800-633-8754

www.neptunetg.com/home

NETZSCH Canada Inc.

25

705-797-8426

www.pumps.netzsch.com

Roth Global Plastics

2

866-943-7256

www.rothmultitank.com

Scotia Tech Fluid Services Ltd.

6

902-468-2777

Soleno

16

450-347-7855

www.soleno.com

The Panel Shop - A Division of Pennecon

33

506-455-1925

www.thepanelshop.com

Greatario Engineered Storage Systems

34 |

| Spring 2021

Website

www.wastewater.com www.nexom.com

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