CH2M Hill: Interconnectivity of water, energy & climate change in a world of threat & opportunity

CH2M HILL, a global full-service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm, announces the release of its 2009 Sustainability Report detailing the company’s activities for the 2007-2008 reporting period.

The report focuses on the complex and interrelated global issues of water, energy, climate change, and land use/development, and details how CH2M HILL is addressing these challenges internally and in support of its clients.

Our goal is to both manage the impacts of our operations and apply our creativity and technical skills to help our clients become more sustainable,” says Lee McIntire, CEO. “With the interconnectivity of water, energy and climate change becoming more apparent, CH2M HILL feels it has the responsibility to improve the health of the planet. It is an exciting time to be creating new sustainable solutions in this world of threat and opportunity.

Source: Water Online

“The myth of abundant Canadian water” / David Schindler

http://www.innovationcanada.ca/en/articles/the-myth-of-abundant-canadian-water

By David Schindler
Posted on March 1, 2006

Canadians are always told by our politicians and media that we have abundant supplies of fresh water from our lakes and rivers. But the statistics do not bear this out. The true measure of water that we can use sustainably is the annual runoff from land. If we exceed that value, our water use is unsustainable. Canada has seven percent of the world’s land mass, and produces seven percent of the world’s terrestrial runoff. In other words, we have just an average supply of sustainable freshwater by global standards. Another common myth is that we have more water than the USA. Again, the numbers dispel the myth. The runoff per unit area in the two countries is almost identical.

One reason for the apparent abundance of our freshwaters is that we have abundant places for water to collect—in the depressions left by receding glaciers several thousand years ago. But having more basins to catch rain does not mean that more rain falls! Much of northern Canada, where freshwater is most abundant, receives less than 250 millimetres of precipitation per year. Many of the larger lakes would require 100 years or more to refill if we emptied them.

We also often forget how much of our water is in inconvenient places. Most Canadian rivers flow northward, away from the 300-kilometre-wide band along the U.S. border where most of Canada’s 30 million people reside, and where most of our demand for water occurs.

The western prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and western Manitoba) are the driest part of southern Canada. In the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains, some parts receive an average of less than 350 mm of precipitation per year, less than average evaporation. The only reason that agriculture and large cities like Calgary have been able to thrive is because their shortage of precipitation has been offset by rivers and aquifers draining from the Rocky Mountains, where higher precipitation and melting glaciers supply much of the water, especially in the dry summer months when water demand on the prairies is highest.

Read more

GlobeNet : Renewable Energy Solutions for Wastewater Treatment

GLOBE-Net (August 19, 2009) – Nexterra Systems Corp., a Vancouver-based supplier of biomass gasification solutions, and ANDRITZ, an Austrian market leader for customized plants, process technologies, have formed a strategic alliance to market drying solutions fuelled by renewable biomass energy from municipal wastewater treatment plants.

The combination of Nexterra gasification technologies with Andritz biosolids dryers will enable municipal wastewater treatment facilities to reduce fuel costs, eliminate dependence on fossil fuels, lower their greenhouse gas emissions and deploy a sustainable solution for biosolids management.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are more than 16,000 wastewater treatment facilities in the United States operated by municipalities, each of which produces biological sludge or “biosolids” as a residual product from the wastewater treatment process.

Traditional biosolids management methods include spreading dried sludge on lands or trucking it to landfills. Many municipalities wish to discontinue these practices due to health concerns, rising fuel and management costs, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, and diminishing landfill capacity. They are looking for biosolids management solutions that will enable them to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.

During the first phase of their strategic relationship, ANDRITZ and Nexterra will target facilities where existing biosolids dryers can be retrofitted with Nexterra’s biomass gasification technology, and will use biomass fuel to replace natural gas as a heating source. The companies plan also to offer technology solutions for greenfield sites that combine ANDRITZ biosolids dryers and Nexterra gasifiers.

“This strategic relationship with ANDRITZ provides us with a partner who has a deep understanding and presence within the wastewater treatment market, which we see as a very significant market opportunity for our gasification technology,” said Jonathan Rhone, President and CEO of Nexterra. “Our vision is to offer municipalities a seamless range of renewable energy solutions for drying biosolids, and eventually for power generation with gas engines.”

Nexterra is developing a biomass to combined heat and power solutions (CHP) with General Electric, to be sized at 2 – 10 MW, that combine Nexterra’s gasification technology and gas conditioning equipment with high efficiency gas engines. This will enable municipalities to self-generate renewable heat and power on-site.

Additional details can be found at: http://www.nexterra.ca/Andritz

Industry Canada : Water spells opportunity for innovative companies

During the Minister Tony Clement’s recent trip to Israel to attend WATEC ‘09, he gave a speech in which he highlighted how the increasing demand for water is shaping society and the economy.  He discussed how globally, water is the third largest industry next to oil/gas and electricity and emphasized that addressing this common challenge is one that represents a huge opportunity.  

Below is an except from the Minister’s speech.  Read more: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ic1.nsf/eng/05147.html:

“Consequently, understanding — and addressing — the key issues facing the world’s water and ecological systems is not simply something we should do, it is something we must do. Indeed, I believe that water will be to this century what energy was to the last — a defining global issue that will touch every nation and affect every industry, requiring all of us to replace old habits with new approaches.

It is therefore critical that we all become engaged; that we share ideas and that we recognize our common interest in addressing this common challenge. The good news — as this conference makes clear — is that we are developing the tools and technology, the processes and the programs to turn this challenge into opportunity.

The water industry is already one of the three largest industries in the world, along with oil and gas and electricity. In fact, the global market for products and services in the water industry is more than $400 billion — and that’s expected to double every five or six years.

Between 2007 and 2016, some $64 billion will be spent on desalination plants alone. And another $25 billion will be spent on advanced water reuse over the same period. Countries and companies are stepping up to provide solutions — from engineering and construction to quality analysis and design. 

For innovative companies, for farseeing countries, all of this spells opportunity.”

Source: Industry Canada

Water Canada: CCME Adopts Canada-Wide Vision for Water

From: Water Canada (formerly Canadian Water Treatment)  

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers met in Kingston at the end of October 2009 and endorsed a Canada-wide strategic vision for water, which outlines how Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) will help ensure that Canadians have access to clean, safe and sufficient water to meet their needs in ways that also maintain the integrity of ecosystems.

“Protecting Canada’s clean and safe water supply is the top priority for all provincial and territorial Environment Ministers,” said Saskatchewan Environment Minister Nancy Heppner in a press release. “Since our rivers, streams and lakes transcend the borders of provinces and territories, a coordinated plan through CCME is the most effective and efficient approach.”

Ministers also supported a Canada-wide water efficiency labeling program, agreed to earlier this year by the Council of the Federation. Water efficiency labeling supports the conservation and wise use of water under CCME’s Strategic Directions for Water . 

Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to further collaborative efforts to address a number of issues including nutrient loading in Canadian waters, the valuation of water-based natural capital, and developing a better understanding of groundwater resources and management.

Strategic Directions for Water goals: 

• GOAL 1 : Aquatic ecosystems are protected on a sustainable watershed basis
• GOAL 2 : The conservation and wise use of water is promoted
• GOAL 3 : Water quality and water quantity management is improved,
  benefitting human and ecosystem health
• GOAL 4 : Climate change impacts are reduced through adaptive strategies
• GOAL 5 : Knowledge about the state of Canada’s water is developed and shared

Genome BC looks to help clean up mining wastewater

Source:  CanadianGreenTech

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

New research at Genome BC expects to show that harnessing the potential of microbes can help companies faced with cleaning up toxic wastewater from mining operations do a better job. According to the research organization, this method of bioremediation will provide an alternative to some current mine treatment methods that require large-scale employment of chemicals to treat water contaminated by metal leaching and acid rock drainage. “There are micro-organisms out there that can do all sorts of things, including the detoxification of water. We are relying on the microbes that are already present in the environment to do this, and using genomics to determine how to create the conditions in which they will thrive,” said Dr. Sue Baldwin, the University of British Columbia researcher who will lead the $1.5 million project entitled, The Development of Genomic Tools for Monitoring and Improving Passive Mitigation of Mine Drainage. Essentially, the micro-organisms digest the metal toxins in wastewater, sequestering them or reducing them to less toxic forms. One class of microbes in particular termed Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB), are known to be powerhouses in the clean up of mine drainage. But SRB do not work in isolation. They rely on other micro-organisms to provide them with essential nutrients so they can thrive and carry out the detoxification. This is where genomics come in. Researchers will study the microbial community as a whole, sequence the DNA to see how the organisms interact, and determine what sort of nutrients and conditions are necessary to ensure that they continue to do their jobs over time. They are gathering information from two test sites where they are setting up pilot treatment facilities. The sites are located at the Mt. Polley Mine, a copper and gold mine near Williams Lake BC and at the Teck smelter near Castlegar BC. According to Baldwin, these treatment facilities don’t look any different that the surrounding environment. “The water would flow through a natural compost area which would serve to nourish the microbes, and this would be capped with grasses. It essentially looks like a series of grasses and water ponds.” These treatment facilities are universally applicable and can be set up in virtually any environment where there is sufficient space, and customized to include the natural microbial communities that are found there. “We have keen interest and active participation from the international mining community,” Baldwin said.

GLV lands contracts

The Gazette, 30 September 2009

Montreal-based GLV Inc. announced a new round of contracts yesterday worth $39 million awarded by clients in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Of the total, $30.3 million went to the Eimco waste-water treatment unit and $8.4 million for the pulp-and-paper group. COO Richard Verreault said the depressed pulp-and-paper industry is starting to invest in technology again.

The Eimco contracts include water-intake screening systems and other equipment for Germany, The Netherlands, Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.

The new pulp-and-paper unit’s contracts were awarded by U.S. clients mainly, but also Indonesian.

Last week, GLV made a $153- million bid for Austria’s Christ Water Technology, a specialist in water-recycling and desalting equipment.

H2O Innovation Receives Coveted “Technology Green 15 Award” at the 2009 Deloitte Technology ‘Fast 50′ Awards

H2O Innovation Receives Coveted “Technology Green 15^TM Award” at the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50^TM Awards

QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC–(Marketwire – Oct. 1, 2009) -

H2O Innovation Inc.  (TSX-V:HEO)  is a winner of the prestigious Deloitte Technology Green 15^TM Award, an award created in 2007 to showcase 15 Canadian companies that are leading the way to create major breakthroughs in the field of green technology.  “The Deloitte Technology Green 15^TM Award recognizes those Canadian companies that offer solutions to global environmental challenges by creating intellectual property and technology that reduce society’s environmental impact,” said John Ruffolo, National Leader, Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Group, Deloitte. “Companies such as H2O Innovation are creating technology solutions that have a significant environmental impact and demonstrate a compelling return on investment, despite being in a recession. In doing so, they are helping position Canada as a global leader in the development of commercially-viable green technology.”

H2O Innovation designs, develops, produces, and integrates state-of-the-art custom-built water treatment systems for the production of drinking water, the reclamation of water, the treatment of wastewater and industrial process water for multiple markets. H2O Innovation has completed and successfully integrated 4 acquisitions in the last 20 months in Canada and the United States. The Company was ranked 20th largest global supplier of desalination systems and ranks 3rd in North America according to industry publication Water Desalination Report.

H2O Innovation disclosed its 2009 fiscal year results by press release on Monday September 28, 2009. For this fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, H2O Innovation registered record sales, solid growth in EBITDA and cash generated from operating activities while having significantly reduced its net loss by 98% to $65,148. During the fiscal year, the Company’s sales reached $31.2 M, a 189% increase compared to $10.8 M for the 2008 fiscal year. Gross margin was at 23.8% for the fiscal year 2009, slightly down from 24.8% for the same period in 2008. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for fiscal 2009 was $1.1 M, compared to a ($3.0 M) loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in fiscal 2008. The Company recorded a net loss of ($65,148) ($0.001 per share) for the 2009 fiscal year, significantly lower than the net loss of ($3.6 M) ($0.100 per share) recorded in fiscal 2008.

To qualify for the Technology Green 15^TM Award, candidates must be headquartered in Canada and devote a significant portion of their operating revenues to creating proprietary technology or intellectual property.
About the Deloitte Technology Green 15^TM

The Technology Green 15^TM recognizes Canada’s leading GreenTech companies. GreenTech, the industry term for “green technologies”, is taking on greater importance in the world in general, and the world of business in particular. It includes any technology that promotes a more efficient use and re-use of the earth’s resources in industrial production and consumption. GreenTech products and services are designed to reduce or eliminate environmental impacts and improve operational performance, productivity, or efficiency while reducing costs, inputs, energy consumption, waste, or pollution. Although many companies within GreenTech industry sectors are very different, they share a common trait: all use new, innovative technology to create products and services that compete with existing products and services on price and performance while reducing impact on the environment.

About the Deloitte Technology Fast 50^TM

The Deloitte Technology Fast 50^TM program is Canada’s pre-eminent technology awards program. Celebrating business growth, innovation and entrepreneurship, the program features four distinct categories including the Technology Fast 50^TM Ranking, Companies-to-Watch Awards (early-stage Canadian tech companies in business less than five years, with the potential to be a future Deloitte Technology Fast 50^TM candidate,) Leadership Awards (companies that demonstrate technological leadership in four industry subcategories: hardware/semiconductor, software, telecommunications and emerging technologies) and the Deloitte Technology Green 15^TM Awards (Canada’s leading GreenTech companies that promote a more efficient use and re-use of the earth’s resources in industrial production and consumption.) Program sponsors include Deloitte, Gowlings, GrowthWorks, RBC, Wellington Financial, Stonewood Group, HKMB Hub, CATAAlliance, CleanTech Group, IGLOO, ITAC, MaRS and Microsoft. For further information, visit www.fast50.ca.

About H2O Innovation

Exclusively dedicated to water treatment, H2O Innovation is establishing itself as a key player in sustainable development and the field of clean technologies. H2O Innovation designs, develops, produces, and integrates state-of-the-art custom-built water treatment systems for the production of drinking water, the reclamation of water, the treatment of wastewater and industrial process water in the municipal, commercial, industrial, mining, and energy markets. Additionally, the Company offers complete operating and maintenance solutions for membrane filtration and reverse osmosis systems. H2O Innovation has approximately 100 employees and eight offices including three manufacturing and assembly plants in Canada and the United States. Shares of H2O Innovation are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (HEO) as well as on the NYSE Euronext Alternext Exchange (MNEMO: ALHEO).

Full-Cost Pricing Necessary, Says Report

Consumers must pay for every unit of water they use, and the price must reflect the cost of supplying it, the Conference Board of Canada recommends in a new report released last week.

“Water charges based on the value of property—or any other fixed measure that is not directly related to water consumption—cannot provide consumers with clear price signals,” said Len Coad, director, Environment, Energy and Technology.

A cultural shift is required in how we manage our water system. Instead of relying on the tax base and allowing users to pay a below-cost price, those who use the service should pay the full cost of water, including capital expenditures.

Most Canadians pay less than $0.02 per litre for their water and wastewater service. Full-cost pricing would provide customers with a clear indication of the cost of providing water services and increase incentives to reduce consumption. As a basic step, says the report, universal water metering should be implemented immediately.

Secondly, many municipally-owned water and wastewater facilities and systems were built between the 1950s and 1970s, and are due for replacement. But capital investments by municipal governments have been in decline for more than 30 years, and some municipalities have been reluctant to pass costs on to users, allowing a significant but unsubstantiated infrastructure deficit to develop. Full-cost pricing would change the focus of water management from short-term cost savings to long-term service quality and sustainability.

The report, Improving Infrastructure Management: Municipal Investments in Water and Wastewater Infrastructure, is published as part of CanCompete, a three-year program of research and dialogue designed to help leading decision makers advance Canada on a path of national competitiveness.

via: Water Canada

Toles [Washington Post]