water

Creating more sustainable water resource management for the world.

Waterloo’s Water Institute is the 10th best water research institution in the world and the only Canadian institute in the top 10.

LUX RESEARCH INC, Top Academics and Institutions in Water Research, 2013

Polluted to potable

Soon-to-be commercialized technology uses nanoparticles to remove some of the world’s nastiest pollutants from water. Photocatalyst nanoparticles created by a team led by Frank Gu, Canada Research Chair, associate professor of chemical engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and member of WIN, have the power to take on pesticides, pharmaceuticals and other pollutants that currently cannot be filtered out, even highly persistent toxins from Canadian oilsands industrial wastewater.

Frank Gu

Essential for survival

garbage floating in water

Securing clean water is, and always has been, a concern among societies. Since the beginning of history we have had to make crucial decisions about our water supply and how our society interacts with it. Sarah Wolfe, a professor of environment and resource studies in the Faculty of Environment, is researching how water is wired into our consciousness and our culture and how that interaction shapes decisions about water.

Working to protect aquatic ecosystems

Phillippe Van Cappellen

Earth’s water resources are increasingly threatened by overuse and environmental stresses, such as pollutants, invasive species and climate change. Canada Excellence Research Chair Philippe Van Cappellen, a professor of earth and environmental sciences in the Faculty of Science, is developing new tools to identify, monitor and predict the fate of nutrients and harmful chemicals along the water cycle. A few of his current research projects include detecting microplastics in the Great Lakes, assessing the effects of dams on water quality in rivers and forecasting the impact of population growth and climate change on the health of coastal ecosystems.

By The Numbers

  • 138 faculty members from 6 Faculties across 18 departments dedicated to water research at The Water Institute
  • 90 million+ in water research funding at Waterloo over the past five years
  • Sponsored water-related research grew from $14M in 2009/10 to $28 million in 2012/13 (The Water Institute)
  • The Water Institute is the 20th most prolific water research institute in the world (Stockholm International Water Institute and Elsevier, August 2012)
  • The Water Institute has more than 60 external partners

Water brings the world together. Protecting water resources is key for environmental stability, social welfare, economic growth and global peace. Waterloo is a leader in water research.

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