NEWS RELEASE
Water Research Partnership Receives International Recognition
(Monday, March 22, 2010) - World class water research resulting from an innovative partnership between Halifax Water and Dalhousie University has been recognized by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the largest and oldest organization of water professionals in the world.
Alisha Knowles, Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering at Dalhousie University has been invited to present her research results to AWWA members, via a syndicated webcast, on the challenges associated with balancing water treatment objectives, such as those found throughout Nova Scotia.
Ms. Knowles’ presentation was selected following her podium presentation at the 2009 AWWA Water Quality Technology Conference in Seattle, Wa, a premiere international technology conference.
Ms. Knowles was the first PhD student to start her program under the Halifax Water Industrial Research Chair program at Dalhousie University, lead by Dr. Graham Gagnon. The Research Chair is sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.
“This has been an exciting partnership between Dalhousie University and Halifax Water over the last 3 years,” says Dr. Gagnon,.“It’s an excellent example of the international level of research being conducted in our own backyard.”
This research partnership, along with Halifax Water’s Water Quality Master Plan, provides the basis for stable, continuous investment and innovation in the water system that ensures Halifax Water's customers will always be provided with high quality water.
“Providing world class services for our customers and our environment is Halifax Water’s mission,” says Halifax Water General Manager Carl Yates. “Innovative partnerships and research such as this ensures that future experts in drinking water treatment are being trained here in HRM.”
Halifax Water’s Annual Customer Survey, conducted in November/December 2009 by a highly respected, local research firm, helped confirm Halifax Water is on the right track. Halifax Water received outstanding results from our customers in two critical categories. Results indicate 90% of customers perceive water quality as good or excellent, the highest level ever achieved in the annual survey. A sub-category surveyed under drinking water quality was Water Safety. In this category Halifax Water came in at a very high 97% of customers rating our water as safe or very safe.
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Contact:
Alisha Knowles, PhD Student-Department of Civil & Resource Engineering
Dalhousie University: - 902-225-9942
Carl Yates, General Manager, Halifax Water: 902-490-4840
Graham Gagnon, Ph.D., P.Eng.- Professor NSERC / Halifax Water Industrial Research Chair
Canada Research Chair in Water Quality & Treatment, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering
Dalhousie University: 902-494-3268
