Adding value to interdisciplinary dialogue on major water research themes, research experts contribute their specialized knowledge in these focus areas:
Aquatic ecology
Understanding the aquatic ecosystems that thrive in our rivers, lakes and oceans is key to protecting and sustaining them. With a strong focus on the ecology of fisheries and the Great Lakes, researchers at the University of Waterloo are interested in gaining a better understanding of how to protect fragile ecosystems from invasive species and pollution.
- Affiliated departments and schools: biology, civil and environmental engineering, earth and environmental sciences, environment, resources and sustainability
- Aquatic ecology researchers
Aquatic microbiology
Microbes exist in water everywhere: from the reservoirs of groundwater beneath our feet, to the streams and lakes from which we drink. Understanding both the pathogens that threaten our water supply and the bacteria which can help clean up toxic spills is necessary to preserve our water resources.
- Affiliated departments: biology, civil and environmental engineering, earth and environmental sciences
- Aquatic microbiology researchers
Aquatic toxicology
Toxins that accumulate in the aquatic environment can end up in our food. Understanding bioaccumulation and risk of man-made contaminants is critical for protecting our environment and food supply.
- Affiliated departments: biology
- Aquatic toxicology researchers
Atmospheric science
Understanding physical processes that link the atmosphere to oceans and land masses is key to understanding weather, climate change and the global water balance.
- Affiliated departments: applied mathematics, geography and environmental management
- Atmospheric science researchers
Drinking water treatment
The water we drink has a long way to go from source to tap; ensuring that water is free from contaminants gets more and more difficult and pollutant-specific. Researchers at Waterloo strive to protect our water supply through the development of processes and technologies for both detecting and removing pathogens and emerging contaminants.
- Affiliated departments: chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering
- Drinking water treatment researchers
Ecohydrology and biogeochemistry
Understanding chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes that are linked to the hydrologic cycle, how those processes relate to the natural environment, and how humans impact the ecohydrologic cycle, is vital to effective watershed management.
Groundwater
Waterloo has historically had one of the strongest groundwater research programs in the world and continues to push the boundaries of groundwater science. Examining and managing our regional-scale groundwater resources, developing means of remediating the polluted subsurface, and identifying how to best protect our valuable resources from agricultural and radioactive contamination — Waterloo does it all.
Lakes and oceans
Ontario borders four of the five Great Lakes, so it is no surprise that Waterloo researchers study the limnology of lake systems and the hydrodynamics of oceans.
- Affiliated departments: applied mathematics, biology
- Lakes and oceans researchers
Snow, ice, and glaciers
Canada has a reputation for its cold climate, and for good cause: from ice floes in the Arctic Circle, to the glacial history of the Great Lakes basins, and the snowmelt events that dominate our surface water hydrology, the freeze-thaw water cycle determines, in large part, the long- and short-term dynamics of our natural world.
Surface water hydrology and hydraulics
Rivers and streams are an integral part of the water balance. Waterloo researchers work to understand their sensitivity to changes in climate and changes in land practices through a combination of fieldwork and computer modelling.
Wastewater treatment
Any society produces waste and we rely on good science to find out how to best process and treat these byproducts. At Waterloo, multiple faculty members work to determine the most effective and efficient way to process and treat our stormwater and wastewater to protect communities and the environment
- Affiliated departments: chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering
- Wastewater treatment researchers
Water and health
Water and human health are inextricably linked. Globally, the lack of access to fresh water and adequate sanitation is a leading cause of disease and mortality. Waterloo researchers are working to understand water-related human health impacts and to identify approaches to improve access to clean water and suitable sanitation.
- Affiliated school: public health and health systems
- Water and health researchers
Water economics
As fresh water becomes scarce it plays an increasingly important role in the economy, as it is one of earth's most critical commodities. This is particularly true in Ontario, where we lay claim to a significant percentage of the world's fresh water. University of Waterloo economists are invested in understanding the future of the global water economy, balancing the often opposing goals of community, industrial and ecological interests.
- Affiliated departments: economics
- Water economics researchers
Water policy, management, and governance
Determining how to manage our water resources in a sustainable fashion while meeting community, industrial and environmental needs is no easy feat. Waterloo researchers are investigating various governance approaches that define political, social, economic and administrative systems that influence the use and management of water.
Water quality measurement
Critical technologies for the future of water science necessarily address one key question: what is in the water? Researchers at Waterloo work to develop state-of-the-art analytical methods and innovative instrumentation such as a "lab-on-a-chip" or nanotechnology based devices that can quickly and cost-effectively detect biological and chemical contaminants.
- Affiliated departments: chemical engineering, chemistry, mechanical and mechatronics engineering
- Water quality measurement researchers
Water supply and infrastructure
The extensive infrastructure supporting our water supply needs is deteriorating steadily, as both wooden pipes installed 100 years ago and the concrete ones from 40 years ago simultaneously reach the end of their design lives. The key to reinventing this infrastructure for the long term requires intelligent design and novel construction methodologies.
- Affiliated departments: civil and environmental engineering
- Water supply and infrastructure researchers
Wetlands and peatlands
About 15 per cent of Canada's landmass is covered in wetlands or peatlands, which are both critical sources of biodiversity and one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet. Their hydrological and ecological impacts cannot be undervalued.