001-40_WC_144_SEPT-OCT25_PT - Flipbook - Page 25
Ensuring a safe, secure, and sustainable
water supply through to 2051 is a top
priority for the Region of Waterloo.
Black and Veatch, Wikimedia
Plan completed in 2015. Given the complexity of the Region’s
drinking water system, a defensible decision-making process
is important to ensure the recommended approach effectively
balances the Region’s strategic priorities.
To support this, the Region is using the Greenhouse Gas
Inventory Tool developed by the Ontario Water Works Association and the Water Environment Association of Ontario
(OWWA/WEAO) Climate Change Committee. The tool
provides insights into GHG emissions from drinking water
treatment, which is an important consideration when making
more informed decisions related to optimizing existing facilities
or building additional water treatment facilities.
Once complete, the Water Supply Strategy will identify
recommendations for the Region’s integrated urban system. The
system supplies drinking water to over 600,000 residents in the
cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo, as well as some
communities in the Townships of North Dumfries, Wilmot,
and Woolwich. The Water Supply Strategy update builds upon
previous master plans, reviews current water supply sources, assesses future water demands, and investigates possible new water
sources. It also considers a range of technical, environmental,
social, and economic factors to evaluate potential options and
identify a preferred strategy.
As part of the assessment of environmental factors, the GHG
inventory of existing drinking water treatment facilities identifies
trends and estimates emissions for future water supply options.
Using the OWWA/WEAO GHG Inventory Tool, the Region
gained a deeper understanding of how various factors related to
raw water quality, treatment process optimization, and facility
flow rates impact GHG emissions. This tool enabled a better
understanding of GHG emissions for the overall drinking water
treatment system, as well as a facility-by-facility comparison.
An important feature of this tool is its comprehensive inclusion
of direct and indirect emissions sources. This level of analysis
is critical for making informed decisions about infrastructure
investments, operational changes, and long-term sustainability.
The analysis indicated that scope 3, including the production
and transportation of chemicals, was the largest contributor
to GHG emissions for drinking water treatment, followed by
emissions from electricity and natural gas. This analysis showed
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