Prioritizing Outcomes, Not Features
CHALLENGE: Gilles Bay Improvement District (GBID) is a small community of 450 full-time residents (a population that doubles during summer) located on the northwest coast of Texada Island in British Columbia. It regularly faces recurring BWAs. Water is supplied from Cranby Lake, a shallow-surface water source with high colour and organic content. The main objectives of this Community Circle pilot project are to identify solutions that meet GBID’s strategic requirements in terms of
i) the ability to remove natural organic matter and colour from the source water, ii) effective disinfection, iii) budgetary considerations and iv) long-term sustainability.
SOLUTION: These objectives will be achieved through a series of activities over 24 months, which began in early 2020. Pilot investigations started by deploying the RESEAU Mobile Water Treatment Pilot Plant Mobile Lab; (which effectively and affordably tests a variety of disinfection technologies) in April 2020. Technologies being evaluated as part of this long-term pilot study are granular activated carbon, biological activated carbon, ion exchange and biological ion exchange for organic and colour removal, as well as UV and chlorine disinfections for the inactivation of microorganisms.
KEY CONSIDER ATIONS: The RESEAU team is working closely with the community and other partners, regulatory agencies, and health and industry partners to continually refine the project and its activities so that the community will eventually be equipped with the data needed to make an informed decision about adopting a sustainable, affordable and acceptable drinking water treatment solution for the community. The main objectives are identifying solutions that meet GBID’s strategic requirements in terms of i) the ability to remove natural organic matter, colour and turbidity; ii) effective disinfection;
iii) budgetary considerations; and iv) long-term sustainability. These objectives will be achieved through a series of activities spanning over 24 months. The pilot investigations will be conducted by deploying the RESEAU Mobile Lab. The project plan will be further developed with input from stakeholders, regulatory, health and industry partners.
The Gilles Bay Improvement District is testing water treatment options to address recurring Boil Water Advisories from Cranby Lake. A 24-month pilot project evaluates various technologies to improve water quality and meet budget and sustainability goals.
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Water Health Equity
One in six Canadians, including the majority of 1.6 million Indigenous people, live in rural areas and often face exposure to negative health and socio-economic impacts from unsafe drinking water. It’s a persistent crisis that has dragged on for decades, a dubious achievement for a rich nation often celebrated as a global humanitarian and human rights leader.
Treading Water
To tackle water advisories in Indigenous communities, we created "Treading Water," a 20-minute play with UBC's research-based theatre experts. The play highlights the experiences of water operators and communities, aiming to spark dialogue on water quality issues.
Operators’ Walkthrough Lab (OWL): Digital Circle in Action
RESEAU created AR apps for virtual walkthroughs of water treatment plants, enabling community input, reducing design errors, and providing remote monitoring and training. These tools were piloted at Yukon University in 2020 to support operator training and design accuracy.
