Minister of Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz at the announcement on Monday at the University of Alberta. (Government of Alberta YouTube)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Alberta Innovates projects

Province shares tech-related investments made to fight drought in Alberta

Mar 28, 2024 | 10:18 AM

With the risk of drought facing the province, the Alberta government says they have invested in numerous tech-related projects to maximize water supply and deliver adequate drinking water to communities.

Alberta’s largest innovation agency, Alberta Innovates, has invested more than $75 million through its Water Innovation Program, supporting 101 completed projects, with 65 more in the works. All 166 projects represent a total project value of more than $256 million.

The province says the projects are aimed at helping researchers and industry accelerate the development of new technology that will deliver safe, secure drinking water to communities and promote healthy aquatic ecosystems.

“We are investing in innovation and technologies that will help us maximize Alberta’s water supply to fight drought. These innovative projects are part of our work to modernize and transform how water is used in this province, finding new and better ways to manage, conserve and use our most precious resource,” said Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.

Water Innovation Program projects that come under environment technologies are funded under four themes: future water supply and watershed management; healthy aquatic ecosystems; water conservation, efficiency and productivity; and water quality protection. As the province faces a risk of extreme drought, officials say these technologies are more important than ever.

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“Technology is driving innovation in every industry. Each project supported through this funding will help us bring real-world solutions to real-world problems, that include a high-performing responsive waste management system for our province,” said Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation.

One of the technologies, developed at the University of Alberta uses a granular sludge reactor to increase the amount of processed water that can be reused and recycled. It also aims to increase the performance and capacity of municipal water treatment facilities. Officials say the project is currently being piloted at a City of Calgary wastewater treatment plant and is showing promise.

The government says that as Alberta continues to diversify its economy, innovations like these are critical to not only help create a cleantech industry for water treatment but also improve the province’s marketability and competitiveness with these technologies for a global market.

“Water is always taken for granted until such time as there is none. The Water Innovation Program creates the knowledge and technologies to help ensure a safe, secure and reliable water supply, so our communities, businesses, farms and ecosystems have the water they need now and into the future,” said Laura Kilcrease, CEO of Alberta Innovates.

Alberta Innovates, with the provincial government, supports resource and technology companies, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and post-secondary institutions in research, technology development and commercialization.

Their outcomes to date include 94 new policies or practices influenced, 55 new products and services, and 900 highly qualified personnel supported for projects in five streams: clean technologies, digital clean energy, environmental technologies, partial upgrading and recovery technology.