Fleming College
IN-26: Innovation C

Fleming's Office of Applied Research and CAWT conducts research in the areas of water and wastewater treatment science and communicates results in high quality publications. The Centre continues to expand research capacity and in the last three years has expanded into research work relating to drinking water safety, using innovative approaches, in partnership with industry partners. This submission highlights advances in the use of this technology since the last submission, and specifically, working with an industry partner in researching and demonstrating the efficacy of using silver-stabilized peroxide as a secondary disinfection agent. Silver-stabilized peroxide reduces the presence of harmful chlorinated disinfection byproducts (trihalomethanes) in the finished drinking water and the results exceed Provincial Health guidelines for drinking water. This work will provide both municipalities and drinking water managers with safe, affordable options for the control of trihalomethanes.

The Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment (CAWT) at the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Frost Campus, Fleming College is an internationally recognized research institute committed to excellence in research and education.The Centre fosters collaborative research partnerships with universities, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector; and engages in opportunities to enhance student learning through the integration of applied research activities in student curricula.

Increasingly, access to clean and safe drinking water is a key provincial and federal priority in Canada, particularly for Northern and Indigenous communities. Progress in this type of research is critical to addressing this issue. Through innovations in research and technology advancements, working with industry partners on projects such as testing the use of silver-stabilized peroxide for disinfection of drinking water, the CAWT aims to:
• Conduct, facilitate and coordinate applied research on alternative wastewater treatment and water treatment technologies within the province, country, and the world.
• Promote interdisciplinary interest, applied research, and unique facilities in the study of alternative wastewater and water treatment technologies for collaborative use.
• Advocate public policy and regulatory changes that would facilitate the implementation of alternative treatment technologies in Ontario.
• Collaborate with all levels of government, industry, academia, and other institutions to identify research needs and develop pilot-scale projects or experiments to address these needs.
• Facilitate the exchange of information between CAWT and external agencies through print and web-based resources as well as through partnerships with stakeholders including regulatory agencies, private sector firms, and researchers.
• Provide educational opportunities for students, practitioners, government, and industry in the form of workshops, short courses, conference presentations, demonstration projects and fact sheets.