Alberta testing water tech as possible extreme drought looms
Alberta is spending millions of dollars on technology projects to help conserve, track and manage water usage as the province faces the risk of extreme drought conditions into the spring and summer.
The provincial government has spent more than $75 million to support more than 100 projects through the Water Innovation Program – including water recycling technology being tested at Calgary's water treatment facilities.
"These innovative projects are part of our work to modernize and transform how water is used in this province, finding new and better ways to manage, conserve and utilize our most precious resource," said Rebecca Schulz, Alberta's minister of environment and protected areas.
A project developed at the University of Alberta is first being trialled in Calgary to determine how well it's able to reuse and recycle water.
The program, which uses a “granular sludge reactor,” is operational at Calgary's water treatment facilities to increase water capacity.
Calgary recorded more than 35 centimetres of snow from last Tuesday to Saturday, exceeding the monthly snowfall average for March in a single event.
Data from Environment and Climate Change Canada shows Calgary has received about 62 centimetres of snow so far this month.
Despite the recent dumping of snow, the City of Calgary says it is preparing for the possibility of water restrictions in May if dry conditions continue.
"Conditions have improved moderately since mid-winter, but the Calgary region remains in a drought," reads the most recent drought update from the city, published last week.
The city is already planning to conserve water through the spring by limiting usage for vehicle cleaning and watering parks. City crews will also reuse stormwater for golf courses, parks and city flower baskets.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW A mother's hopes to free her son from a Syrian prison is revitalized by a new human rights report
Just days before the seventh anniversary of the day Jack Letts was thrown in prison with thousands of suspected ISIS fighters, his mother, Sally Lane, delivered a small stack of envelopes to the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
NEW Companies letting customers opt out of Mother's Day ads
In an effort to balance the profitability of Mother's Day with the pain it causes some people, some brands are offering customers the choice to opt out of Mother's Day email advertising.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors
Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan.
Concerns about Plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglass barriers.
NEW Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.