[Re]Engineering water treatment systems for small communities

由于财政和技术限制，许多社区，特别是小的、偏远的和第一民族社区，无法提供有效的水处理。对这些社区来说，水处理系统的人均成本，特别是运营成本，可能是城市中心成本的10倍以上。即使有足够的资金，最大的挑战通常是这些社区无法获得具有有效操作传统水处理系统所需技能的技术人员。这种能力的缺乏导致加拿大各地的小社区随时都有1000多个沸腾水建议。原住民受到的影响尤其严重，有170多个社区发布了烧水建议，其中许多已经实施了10多年。联邦政府已承诺在未来几年内提供20多亿美元的额外资金，以解决仅在第一民族社区面临的水质挑战。虽然这将有助于缓解原住民社区的资金紧张，但它并不能解决其他小型/偏远社区面临的挑战，也不能解决与高级技能操作人员的需求和可用性（以及保留）相关的挑战。需要有效、廉价、最重要的是操作简单（即不需要高技能的操作员）的新技术来解决小型/偏远社区的水处理挑战。***拟议的发现计划（计划）侧重于开发两项在解决许多小型/偏远社区需求方面具有巨大潜力的新技术：生物离子交换（BIEX）和被动膜（PMs）。这些技术特别有前途，因为它们有效、简单（只需最少的技能或注意力即可操作），并且可以在短时间内实质性地改变水处理实践（预计在项目时间表结束时或之后不久，技术将准备好商业化）。***该计划的主要成果将是：1)小型和偏远社区可以采用的简单技术，为居民提供高质量的水；2) HQP具备必要的技能，以应对未来几十年加拿大和国际上的水质和处理挑战。

Many communities, especially small, remote and First Nation communities, cannot provide effective water treatment because of financial and technical constraints. For these communities, the costs per capita for water treatment systems, and in particular the operating costs, can be greater than 10 times the costs in urban centres [2]. Even when sufficient capital is available, the greatest challenge is generally that these communities do not have access to technical personnel with the skills necessary to effectively operate conventional water treatment systems. This lack of capacity translates into more than 1000 boil water advisories in small communities across Canada at any time. First Nations are particularly impacted, with over 170 communities on boil water advisories, many of which have been in place for more than 10 years [3]. The Federal Government has pledged over $2 billion in additional funds over the coming years to address water quality challenges in First Nation communities alone. Although this will help alleviate financial constraints in First Nation communities, it will not address the challenges faced by other small/remote communities, or the challenges associated with the need for and the availability (and retention) of operators with advanced skills. Novel technologies that are effective, inexpensive, and most importantly, simple to operate (i.e. do not require highly skilled operators) are needed to address water treatment challenges in small/remote communities.***The proposed Discovery Program (Program) focuses on the development of two novel technologies that have demonstrated substantial potential at addressing the needs of many small/remote communities: Biological Ion Exchange (BIEX) and Passive Membranes (PMs). These technologies are particularly promising as these are effective, simple (only minimal skill or attention to operate) and could substantially change water treatment practices within a short timeline (technologies are expected to be ready for commercialization by the end of the Program timeline, or soon thereafter).***The main outcomes from the Program will be: 1) simple technologies that can be adopted by small and remote communities to provide high quality water to its residents; and 2) HQP with the skills necessary to address water quality and treatment challenges in Canada and internationally over the decades to come.