Overview
Alberta’s two largest urban areas, Edmonton and Calgary foresee a growth of about 40 per cent in their population in the coming 20 years. All these people will need a supply of water and the wastewater to be removed.
The current water infrastructure is based on a design which has been developed about hundred years or more ago, which is actually true for all cities in OECD countries.
This initiative offers a unique window of opportunities for both municipalities to think about and develop alternative, more cost efficient infrastructures, which are easier to manage, have a flexible design for the use in residential, and more commercial city areas, and perhaps even in larger rural agglomerations. This new infrastructure has to function under varying climatic conditions, treat waters of highly variable composition, and allow a minimum disturbance of the local water cycle.
The biggest investments in the next 20 years needed in OECD countries are in the renewal and building of new water infrastructure. The cost breaks down to about $20,000 per capita, a sum similar for all industrialized countries. With these costs in mind, it is fair to ask the question whether just fixing the old water works is satisfactory or should a new, more adaptable design be envisaged. Thus, the project water infrastructure in future cities is timely. If undertaken with the necessary open spirit, it can become the textbook example for future urban and rural water infrastructures. Its impact will go far beyond Alberta.
Investment
The Alberta Water Research Institute is investing a total of $150,000 in this initiative.
Goal/Outcome
Safe, secure drinking water supply; reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy; institutional arrangements; education and outreach.