Development of methods and tools for the integrated management of drinking water quality

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Drinking water safety is a matter of great concern in Canada and worldwide. Because of stringent government regulations and the high expectations of the population regarding tap water, utilities must provide high-quality drinking water at all times and at any location of distribution systems. To achieve this, an integrated management approach that considers the water source, treatment plant and distribution system in its entirety must be promoted. This Collaborative Research & Development (CRD) proposal will support the development of methods and tools for the assessment and monitoring of drinking water quality. This proposal presents a research program with eight complementary projects to be conducted over five years. Those projects involve the assessment and monitoring of water quality at the water source, during treatment operations, and within the municipal distribution system. They are implemented by five researchers and various collaborators with different scientific qualifications. The complementary expertise of the team members is conducive to multidisciplinary research with high potential outcomes for the six industrial and municipal partners of this proposal. The proposal will contribute to the training of a various doctoral and undergraduate students and post-doctoral fellows. The research activities of this proposal are complementary to those of an Industrial Research Chair (IRC) proposal to be carried out simultaneously over the next five years. The results of this research program are intended for use by our partners during planning and routine operational tasks. Benefits also include better cost/benefit outcomes of financial investments in assessment and monitoring and the reduction of health risks associated with tap water. It is expected that outcomes of this CRD proposal will strengthen Canada's position worldwide in the development of decision-making tools for drinking water quality management from source to tap.