Canadian Water Treatment: Challenges and Opportunities

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Canadian Water Treatment Challenges and
Opportunities

• John Nicholson, M.Sc., P.Eng.
• Editor, Canadian Water Treatment

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Topics of Discussion

• Topics
• Reputation
• Legislation
• Aboriginal Communities
• Bottled water
• Environmental Stewardship
• Growth of the industry

• Key Questions
• Where we are today?
• Where we want to be?
• How do we get there?

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Reputation of the IndustryWhere are we now?

• Current State
• Marketing by innuendoes, half-truths, and
  deception brings the entire industry down
• Bottled water companies question the safety of
  tap water
• POU/POE providers question health impacts from
  PET water bottles
• City of Kawartha Lakes, City of London
• Brita TV Campaign

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Reputation of the IndustryWhere do we want to be?

• The Future
• Well respected industry known for caring about
  the customers, the community, and the environment
  
• Ethical, professional industry
• Comparison law firms, pharmaceutical industry
• Comparison used car sales, tow truck companies
• Recognized leading organization in the world
• Providers of safe, clean, water

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Reputation of the IndustryHow do we get there?

• The Secret Plan
• Advertising
• Statements, either verbal or written, which are
  false, misleading, deceptive, fraudulent, or
  which falsely or deceptively disparage publicly
  or privately supplied water, bottled water, water
  quality improvement products or systems or other
  competitors of competitive produces, shall not be
  used.
• Focus on benefits of your product/service
• Your ship doesnt rise when you sink another
• Strive for perfection

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LegislationWhere are we now?

• Current State
• Federal governments limited role
• Patchwork of provincial regulations
• POU/POE systems and proposed CSA standard B483.1
• Testing requirements for bottled water compared
  to municipal water

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LegislationWhere do we want to be?

• The Future
• Federal regulation that is fair, understandable
  and science-based
• Clear, enforceable rules for bottled water
• Clear, enforceable rules for POU/POE systems
• Clear, enforceable rules for municipal drinking
  water systems
• Avoidance of different rules in different
  provinces (i.e., labeling of bottled water)

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LegislationHow do we get there?

• The Secret Plan
• Works together to ensure clear, enforceable rules
  are legislated that are fair and do not hinder
  commerce
• Inform municipal, provincial, and federal
  politicians about the views of industry with
  recommendations for what would work best
• Counteract reactionary, ill-conceived ideas

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Aboriginal and Rural CommunitiesWhere are we Now?

• Current State
• Over 600 First Nation Communities in Canada, more
  than 75 have drinking water systems posed a
  significant risk to the quality or safety of
  drinking water
• Over 2 billion has been spent by the federal
  government over the last five years to upgrade
  water treatment systems

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Aboriginal CommunitiesWhere do we want to be?

• The Future
• Safe, clean water for aboriginal communities and
  growth market for the Canadian industry

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Aboriginal CommunitiesHow do we get there?

• The Secret Plan
• Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of
  First Nations gave his vision and plan for
  partnership
• Opportunity to partner directly with First
  Nations on water treatment
• Follow the Membertou example
• Siemens Agreement with INAC to promote aboriginal
  employment

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Bottled WaterWhere are we now?

• Current State
• Exponential growth
• Attacks from activists and environmentalists
• City of Charlottetown will continue to drink
  bottled water (CBC, March 12th, 2007)
• United Church of Canada ban on bottled water
  (2006)
• Province of Ontario to begin charging bottled
  water companies taking water

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Bottled WaterWhere do we want to be?

• The Future
• Continued growth
• Favoured beverage choice by consumers
• Exports to the world
• World-recognized leader
• Educated public

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Bottled WaterHow do we get there?

• The Secret Plan
• Promote bottled water based on refreshment,
  hydration, taste, purity, convenience
• Locate facilities near water resources with
  willing hosts
• Quick and intelligent response to unfair
  criticisms
• Promote virtues of export

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Environmental StewardshipWhere are we now?

• Current State
• Attacks from environmentalists
• PET bottles are a strain on the environment
• Export of water disrupts the water cycle of water
  basins
• Water industry is eroding the public trust in tap
  water
• Public control of water is at risk from private
  water companies

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Environmental StewardshipWhere do we want to be?

• The Future
• Public understanding that packaging for water is
  no different for any other beverage
• Science-based decisions on exports of water from
  river basins
• Safe and clean water available to everyone,
  regardless of economic situation

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Environmental StewardshipHow do we get there?

• The Secret Plan
• Biodegradable, fully-compostable, and
  petro-chemical free plastic water bottles
• 1 Water, Montreal
• Environmental Leadership
• Aquathin Corp, POU/POE supplier based in Florida,
  wins Emerald Award from Broward County for
  environmental responsible practices
• Ontario Environmental Leaders Program
• Promotion of science-based decision-making for
  water exports and water re-use/recycling
• Promotion of clean and safe water for everyone

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GrowthWhere are we now?

• Current State
• Exponential growth in bottled water
• POU/POE business migrating to bottled water
• Home/Office Water Cooler market is mature (1 to
  2 growth)
• Big box retailers selling Asian-made systems
• Coke and Pepsi

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GrowthWhere we want to be?

• Continued growth
• New markets
• Asia, Russia, the U.S.
• New products
• Multi-barrier systems
• Water-in-car systems
• Up-sell and cross-sell opportunities

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GrowthHow do we get there

• The Secret Plan
• Promotion for water exports
• Development of new technologies
• Multi-barrier filters
• WHO support of POU/POE systems
• Focus on niche markets

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Conclusions

• Canadian Water Treatment magazine is your partner
• As editor, I need your suggestions, feedback, and
  criticisms
• Lets work together to promote the industry

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Thank you