AquaAction

06/03/2026

The Great Lakes have a contamination problem. Actually, they have several.

They include PFAS, heavy metals, microplastics, stormwater pollution, nutrients and sediment.

Some contaminants come from everyday products. Others come from industry, agriculture, tires, textiles, runoff, and aging infrastructure.

Different risks from different sources. But the question is the same: how do we stop pollutants from entering freshwater systems, and how do we remove them when they do?

Do you know which contaminant is the hardest to detect? Hint: it can come from your clothes 👕

Water Issue Leaders: Mark Payne, York University, Daria Popugaeva, Western University, Xiujuan Chen, University of Texas Arkansas, Alanna Condren, BASF

06/01/2026

That's a wrap! 🎥

On May 28th, we brought our Water Literacy Project, an initiative in collaboration with Canadian Geographic and the Canadian Museum of Nature, to the Roots of Resilience Charter School in Drayton Valley, Alberta.

Students explored freshwater through hands-on learning, while we captured how these experiences are shaping their curiosity and connection to water.

This pilot project is part of a broader effort to bring Water Literacy into schools and communities.

And things are just getting started!

More to come soon. 👀

05/26/2026

The fillet is famous. The rest of the fish deserves a PR team.🐟

In many fisheries, the system is linear: harvest to process to waste.

A circular blue economy asks a different question: how can we use more, waste less, and keep value circulating longer?

In the Great Lakes region, the way fish residues are handled affects how much goes into landfill, and how much value stays in local communities.

Here's the challenge: how can we turn what is left behind into something useful?

Follow along as the AquaHacking Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Binational Challenge teams develop solutions for the water issue: Great Lakes Circular Blue Economy.

Be honest, are you team full‑fish (head, skin, roe included)? Tell us in the comments.

05/22/2026

"Summarize this article." "Write me an email response." "Create a project timeline."

Every AI prompt feels instant and simple. However, behind every quick answer are data centers that require large amounts of water, power and cooling systems.

A single large data centre can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day, about the same as the daily water use of a town of 50,000 people. That's not counting the water is also used to keep operations safe and efficient, such as site, residue and dust cleaning!

Here's the challenge: how can we keep growing while using water more wisely?

Follow along as the AquaHacking Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Binational Challenge teams develop solutions for the water issue: Efficient Industry & Energy.

Water Issue Leaders: Patricia Mobley, Environmental Policy & Innovation Center, Samuel Hankinson, Port of Monroe

05/19/2026

From source water protection to treatment and distribution, access to safe water depends on many connected systems. When one part of that system fails, everything else is affected:

- Flooding can contaminate source water or treated water reserves
- Power outages can affect treatment systems
- Limited distribution infrastructure can create risks during transport or storage
- Overly complex systems may not work if they are not adapted to local capacity

For many underserved communities, water access is also tied to a long history of systemic injustice. Limited control over how water systems were designed, managed, or funded has had lasting impacts on access and trust.

To build community resilience, we need solutions that are co-developed, easy to maintain, affordable, adaptable, and trusted in practice.

Follow along as the AquaHacking Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Binational Challenge teams develop solutions for the water issue: Water Access & Community Resilience.

Water Issue Leaders: Emily Hoppe, CIER, Colleen Holloway, KPMG, Thomas Saleh, IISD, ELA

05/15/2026

What if one of agriculture’s biggest opportunities for smarter water consumption started at the root? 🌱

Farmers across North America are facing growing pressure from drought. As of September 30, 2025, 85% of Canada’s agricultural landscape was experiencing some level of drought.

With increasingly unreliable water, Planteva Farms is rethinking the seedling stage to use water more wisely. Their controlled growing system helps produce stronger, healthier seedlings while using up to 90% less water than traditional methods.

The idea is simple: a healthier seedling is better equipped to make use of the water, nutrients, and resources it receives.

Innovators like Planteva show how technology can help agriculture become more resilient in the face of rising water challenges.

What food do you think uses the most water to grow? Tell us in the comments 👇

05/11/2026

💲🛠 What is the real value of the water infrastructure beneath our feet, and what happens when it fails?

Every day, we rely on systems most of us never see: pipes, treatment plants, pumping stations, stormwater systems, and wastewater infrastructure.

- They bring clean water to our homes
- They protect public health
- They support businesses, schools, hospitals, and entire communities
- They help manage heavy rainfall, flooding, and climate-related stress

Across Canada, many of these systems are aging and the risks of inaction are growing.

Canada's water systems include around 500,000 km of pipes and over 50,000 water-related facilities! Replacing this infrastructure would cost nearly $963 billion, and about 11% of these assets are already considered to be in poor or very poor condition in 2022.

⚠ When water infrastructure fails, the costs rise quickly. Municipalities face emergency repairs. Residents face boil-water advisories, flooded streets, and damaged homes.

Over time, these pressures also affect household affordability. For instance, home insurance costs in Canada have increased by 31% since 2021 due to climate-related hazards.

Have you ever thought about where your water comes from or what happens when systems age?

💧Test your water knowledge here: https://thewaterliteracyproject.org/en/water-literacy-quiz/

05/11/2026

05/08/2026

And the winner of the Nexus H20 Pitch Competition was...

🏆 Alejandro Gaviria from Regeneau!!!

Congratulations to Alejandro for his outstanding pitch. His innovative solutions revolutionize centralized domestic hot water production. It harnesses the untapped energy within a building's wastewater to create a highly efficient, eco-friendly system. ​​

This week at the Great Lakes and St-Lawrence Cities Initiative | Alliance des Villes des Grands Lacs et du St-Laurent Annual Conference, our entrepreneurs bridged the gap between innovation and implementation with municipalities and their water systems. 🤝

On the horizon: new contracts, new connections, and new opportunities to bring water solutions to life.

See you at next year's conference in Quebec City!

💧 What water challenge have you witnessed and believe cities should be prioritizing next? Tell us in the comments!

Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Todd McCarthy, Regeneau, X-TELIA, Water Rangers, RHST Industries Inc, Capture Tech, Sequestro Inc., MycoNaut, E2metrix