President’s 2020 Year End Message
Dear OMWA Member:
I hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy during these difficult times. Our members and their professional water, wastewater and stormwater staff remain our top priority and we will continue to ensure that we provide the greatest benefit for your membership.
Looking back, just one year ago, I wrote in my President’s message, that challenges have always been part of our industry and always will be, but we are fortunate that there are so many dedicated individuals across Ontario. As we turn the page on what has been one of the most challenging year of our lives, both personally and professionally, this couldn’t be truer.
I also spoke of my personal experiences and the privilege that I felt to work with many of you, to have discussions on the challenges we have faced and the challenges to come. That with challenges, come opportunities, a time to be innovative, a time to collaborate, and perhaps most importantly, a time to work together and to continue to build relationships.
Again, this year has proven this to be more important than ever before. As challenges became the new normal, the OMWA was honoured to be able to contribute to relevant discussions through collaboration, innovation, and forging new relationships.
As the world began to change in the middle of March, there was uncertainty like never before across our industry. The OMWA wanted to be able to provide an outlet that would communicate relevant, important information in a forum that could reach out across the province, and in some cases, Canada. The industry wanted information and we were able to provide this in an easy format that people could access.
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Video: Remembering and Never Forgetting the Walkerton E. coli Tragedy
Video from the May 28 webinar is available for download here (MP4 format):
Download video (594mb)
Presenters:
- The Honourable Dennis O’Connor, formerly the Associate Chief Justice of Ontario and was appointed to oversee the inquiry into the Walkerton tragedy
- James Smith, was Ontario’s First Chief Drinking Water Inspector, and as Assistant Deputy Minister, established the Drinking Water Management Division with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
- Carl Kuhnke, was appointed the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Walkerton Clean Water Centre in 2017
- Ed Houghton, Executive Director of the Ontario Municipal Water Association
Webinar: Detecting & Monitoring Covid-19 Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE)
Detecting & Monitoring Covid-19 Using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE)
You are invited to attend this interesting and exciting complimentary webinar, hosted by the Ontario Municipal Water Association (OMWA).
WHEN: Thursday, June 4, 2020 – 11:00 A.M.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Anyone responsible for the municipal water/wastewater services and who is interested in being involved in an exciting research project that can help your community through early detection and monitoring of wastewater for COVID-19. If you want to make a difference and participate in pilot-scale testing within your wastewater facilities to determine the feasibility of detecting OVID-19 signatures.
Webinar: Remembering and Never Forgetting the Walkerton E. coli Tragedy
“Remembering and Never Forgetting the Walkerton E. coli Tragedy”
You are invited to attend a complimentary webinar workshop, hosted by the Ontario Municipal Water Association (OMWA).
WHEN: Thursday, May 28th, 2020 – 11:00 AM
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Everyone involved in the water industry. We must never forget the Walkerton outbreak and pay homage to those who suffered and to those who started us on the path to recovery. Whether you are a new recruit or have years of dedicated service, this is a must-attend webinar. A reflection on past and present.
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Overview
Today the news is consumed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is vitally important that we never forget past tragedies such as the Walkerton E. coli 0157 because they help prevent other similar reoccurrences.
In May of 2000, Southern Ontario experienced several days of heavy rain. Weeks later, the Town of Walkerton had changed forever. Seven people died and 2,300 others suffered life-long health implications after E. coli had entered Walkerton’s drinking water supply. A provincial inquiry followed and determined that it was a combination of factors that lead to the town’s water supply being contaminated. This tragedy changed Ontario’s water industry landscape for ever and has shaped the values and processes that we have today. But as we pass the 20th anniversary of Walkerton, it is not only a time to reflect on the lessons learned from the tragedy, but also a time to remember , and perhaps more importantly, a time to recommit as an industry, to ensuring that Ontario will continue to have the safest drinking water in the world. We owe it to those who lost their lives, and whose lives were changed forever in May of 2000.
Join us on Thursday, May 28th and hear from key figures involved with putting our water industry on the path to recovery and those who wish to keep the Walkerton teachings in the forefront. This is your opportunity to ask your questions about what actually happened in Walkerton or the systems put in place immediately following or its legacy, the Walkerton Clean Water Centre.
Presenters:
- The Honourable Dennis O’Connor, formerly the Associate Chief Justice of Ontario and was appointed to oversee the inquiry into the Walkerton tragedy
- James Smith, was Ontario’s First Chief Drinking Water Inspector, and as Assistant Deputy Minister, established the Drinking Water Management Division with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
- Carl Kuhnke, was appointed the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Walkerton Clean Water Centre in 2017
- Ed Houghton, Executive Director of the Ontario Municipal Water Association
Registration:
Please register for this workshop using the following ZOOM link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_X5DSiatwQ0S6lXATUau4iw
Once you have registered you will receive a confirmation email within 12 hours containing instructions for how to join the webinar.
Continue reading “Webinar: Remembering and Never Forgetting the Walkerton E. coli Tragedy”
Webinar slide deck and audio files
The slide deck from the webinar, Management System Changes Anticipated Resulting from COVID-19 hosted by the OMWA on Thursday, May 21, 2020 can be downloaded here (PDF format).
The audio (MP3, no video) can be downloaded here.
Free webinar: Management System Changes Anticipated Resulting from COVID-19
Management System Changes Anticipated Resulting from COVID-19
You are invited to attend a free webinar workshop, hosted by the Ontario Municipal Water Association (OMWA).
WHEN: Thursday, May 21, 2020 – 11:00 A.M.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This free webinar workshop is intended for management system representatives, compliance coordinators, members of top management, leadership team members, utility operators, and technical staff.
Continue reading “Free webinar: Management System Changes Anticipated Resulting from COVID-19”