Drinking Water Week: Celebrate the Essential

The City of Saskatoon kicked off Drinking Water Week (May 6-12) with a call for Saskatoon citizens to “Celebrate the Essential!”

Ensuring access to water supplies that are clean, healthy, and reliable is of vital importance to our community as well as those around the world. As such, a number of individuals at the University of Saskatchewan are conducting research in the interrelated areas of water security, water use and supply, management and policy, pollution, and water protection. These researchers are committed to helping care for and celebrate our most precious natural resource: water.

The University of Saskatchewan is on its way to becoming a global leader in water research, particularly with the development of the new Global Institute for Water Security. Director of the institute and international expert in sustainable water resources, Dr. Howard Wheater, is helping to bring together water researchers from across campus and around the world since he joined the U of S in October 2010.

Of the hundreds of student- and faculty-researchers focused on water at the U of S, some have chosen to look at the health and quality of our water supply in Saskatoon and the surrounding area. For example:

Amanda Burke, a graduate student working with faculty members from the Global Institute for Water Security, is currently investigating the relationship between land development and water quality in the South Saskatchewan River Basin. A large segment of Saskatchewan’s population relies on the South Saskatchewan River for their daily water needs; therefore, Amanda’s research is important in that it will inform water stewardship and water quality programming in our province.

Jania Chilima is a graduate student studying water resource management through the School of Environment and Sustainability. Her research is exploring the complex social, economic, health, cultural, and environmental factors experienced by those who use water from Lake Diefenbaker. As a large-scale reservoir that provides drinking water to a significant portion of the province, managing Lake Diefenbaker’s water use and maintaining its water quality is of vital importance.

Lalita Bharadwaj is a Toxicologist through the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan. She works with First Nations and rural communities to explore health issues related to water management, sustainability of water supply, and access to safe drinking water.

The City of Saskatoon would like to acknowledge the essential role that water researchers play in helping to preserve the quality of our water supplies in Saskatchewan and beyond. Their work is vital to the health and well-being of our community and the environment.

Do you know of other water-related research or initiatives taking place in our community? Share these stories with others on The City of Saskatoon’s Facebook page!