Sustainable Water Management in Small, Northern & Indigenous Communities

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Indigenous, northern and small communities continue to face long-term drinking water advisories, inadequate wastewater treatment, significant infrastructure needs and a constantly evolving climate-sensitive environment. The role of engineers is to protect public interest and balance the social, environmental, and economic considerations to find the best solutions to complex challenges. The proposed research program recognizes the need to identify sustainable water management approaches, and appropriate water and wastewater treatment and design for small, northern and Indigenous communities in Canada. Creating healthy and sustainable communities necessitates addressing sustainable infrastructure through a practical approach, accounting for technical, social, economic, environmental vulnerabilities. The primary long-term goal of the proposed research program is to enhance understanding around, and develop appropriate engineering solutions for sustainable water management in small, northern and Indigenous communities. The research program is divided into three separate research areas, each building on one another, providing valuable insight and unique knowledge related to sustainable water management. In Theme 1, solutions for Sustainable Water This research will incorporate technical quantitative analysis combined with semi-qualitative methods in order to meet the objectives identified and develop key theories and practical solutions to sustainable water management in small, northern and Indigenous communities. Tools to be integrated include : water and wastewater treatment design assessment tools, systems diagrams, process and flow diagrams, causal maps, life-cycle analysis, planning tools, and decision support systems. This research program will provide unique insight and significant contributions into areas of research that have not been well-explored including sustainable water and wastewater management for small, remote, northern and Indigenous communities. It will directly impact the engineering community by generating new and unique knowledge related to sustainable infrastructure solutions for communities, with a unique focus on Indigenous and northern communities. This research provides training opportunities for 2 PhD, 3 MASc and 5 UG students within an enriching academic environment with relevant private and public sector exposure, and community research and engagement throughout the program.