News

On March 22, the Water Institute marked World Water Day—an annual event bringing together students, researchers, and community members to reflect on our relationship with water. This year’s event aligned with the United Nations’ 2025 theme, Glacier Preservation, and featured insightful talks from distinguished speakers, a showcase of emerging research, and a special recognition of alumni driving change in water management.

The Water Institute is pleased to announce that Rachael Messenger-Lehmann has been awarded the 2025 John Parish Memorial Graduate Scholarship. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding research in fluvial geomorphology—the study of rivers, their processes, and how they influence the landscape.

Understanding ice dynamics in the Yukon’s St. Elias Mountains to prepare for sea level rise and protect water resources

A study led by a University of Waterloo Water Institute researcher has learned that climate change is causing an increase in algae blooms in the United Kingdom’s River Thames despite a four-decade-long decline in phosphorus loads. The study completed a detailed analysis of the river’s 150-year water quality record to examine these trends.

Researchers have generated the first dataset of water flow beneath the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet, which will lead to more accurate projections of sea level rise.

Dr. Kelsey Leonard, a Water Institute member, professor in the Faculty of Environment, and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Waters, Climate, and Sustainability, served as sector co-chair and lead author of the Water Resources chapter in the recently released New York State Climate Impacts Assessment.

University of Waterloo researchers have pinpointed for the first time how microplastics accumulate in coral reefs, a key step to understanding how to protect vulnerable ecosystems. 

Microplastics are pervasive throughout the Great Lakes, yet no basin-wide approach exists to systematically track their presence and impact. A new report from the International Joint Commission (IJC)’s Great Lakes Science Advisory Board Work Group on Microplastics calls for regional coordination to systematically measure Great Lakes microplastics.

Inspired by the movement of insects gliding on the surface of water, University of Waterloo researchers have designed tiny robots controlled by light, offering promising possibilities for environmental remediation and biomedical applications.  

Researchers highlight wastewater monitoring as a powerful tool to support public health responses

Water Institute member Dr. Mark Servos, a biology professor and Canada Research Chair in Water Quality Protection, has received $900,000 from the NSERC Alliance Advantage fund and an additional $450,000 in provincial funding the Ontario Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks to advance wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) methods for monitoring high-risk substances in communities.