U of A opens water research centre with $1.4M donation from Epcor

Water research at the University of Alberta. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)

Water will be the focus of a new research centre at the University of Alberta.

The Water Research Centre’s work will be focused on global challenges such as supply and demand, treatment and reuse, infrastructure, impact of extreme weather and more, officials announced on Wednesday.

The work at the research centre will tackle different issues, according to Dr. Mohamed Gamal El-Din, like pollutants in oil and gas.

“Because when we say water, water means not just waters in rivers, lakes, but also industrial waters, municipal wastewater that we need to address and treat properly so we can release them properly to the environment,” he explained.

No specific projects have been announced, as the centre will be building on research already underway.

Epcor was named a founding member of the centre because of a $1.4-million donation and commitment to providing in-kind support, such as water and wastewater samples and infrastructure access for training and work opportunities.

“It’s good business,” said Epcor’s president and CEO, John Elford. “Access to the results of that research help us evolve and employ best practices that come out of institutions like the University of Alberta. It’s also an investment in the future workforce, future engineers, future leaders who both understand the water industry and receive a great education, but also are engaged and excited about entering a career in the water industry.”

The centre is located in the Department of Civil Environmental Engineering and the School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Brandon Lynch