WC144 SeptOct 2025 - Magazine - Page 19
public health – particularly in the face of Ontario’s housing
boom and intensifying climate risks.
it will be about interpreting AI-driven alerts.” She
emphasized the Centre’s work on cybersecurity awareness
through DWQMS workshops and the ongoing effort to
prepare the workforce for a digital future.
Workforce shortages also loomed large. Colling noted
that operator roles suffer from low public visibility
and recruitment challenges. The sector is now working
collaboratively, with ministries, educational institutions,
and industry groups, to promote careers in water,
starting as early as high school.
The road ahead: Challenges for the next 25 years
Looking to the future, all three panelists underscored
the urgent need to prepare for climate change, emerging
contaminants, digital transformation, and workforce renewal.
Dr. Ahmed warned of increasingly complex water safety
risks, from PFAS and microplastics to climate-induced
flooding, drought, and source water degradation. He called
for a more equitable approach; ensuring all communities,
regardless of size or geography, have access to clean, safe
drinking water.
Steven Carrasco noted MECP’s shift toward data-driven
regulation, flexible compliance tools, and stakeholder
collaboration to proactively manage risks. Cybersecurity,
climate adaptation, and energy resilience are now front-line
concerns for regulators and operators alike.
Victoria Colling reflected on the evolving skillsets needed
in water operations: “In the past, it was about fixing broken
pumps. Today, it’s about preventative checks. Tomorrow,
Closing reflections
The panel closed with a reminder that Ontario’s water
sector has come a long way – but constant vigilance is
non-negotiable. Public trust, built painstakingly over
25 years, must be maintained through transparency,
education, and investment in people and systems.
As Victoria Colling put it, “The lessons of Walkerton
were hard-earned. We honour them by continuing to
evolve, collaborate, and never take safe drinking water
for granted.”
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WATER C AN ADA • SEP TEMBER/OCTOBER 2025
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