LeakfinderRT (NRC and Echologics)

Developed by the National Research Council and licensed to Echologics Engineering Inc. of Toronto, further application on this innovation is under development at the NRC Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure Research in Regina for use in a wide area network. With funding by Communities of Tomorrow, a new method of water main leakage management in District Monitoring Areas was developed and demonstrated in Regina, Ottawa and Halifax.

Use of LeakfinderRT and these new methods could potentially save the City of Regina up to one milliondollars a year in water costs. Better tools to assess infrastructure condition and remaining service life would be of great benefit to towns and cities everywhere.

 

Ochrous Plugging in Drains (Droycon Bioconcepts Inc. – DBI)

The Regina-based microbiology and environmental technology company addressed the problem of ochrous plugging, or bacterial growth, in drains.

The problem is frequent in the drains of new houses constructed in Quebec. Bacterial growth can clog drains, leaving the home susceptible to flooding. Based on DBI’s research and innovative new drain design, the Home Warranty Program in Quebec is currently establishing new construction regulations for drains in newly constructed homes. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is also recognizing DBI’s research and drain design and may incorporate the new drain standard into building codes Canada-wide.

 

Transit Tracker (TRLabs)

No more waiting in the rain or freezing temperatures: Transit Tracker technology allows transit users to plan their arrival at bus stops precisely when the next bus is coming along.

The innovative new technology developed by TRLabs and start-up company Canadian Research Logistics will provide information to transit users through an on-board GPS system, cell phones, and web-based technology. The system tracks the movement of all the buses on several bus routes and provides both a web site interface and a cell phone interface for users to meet up with their next bus.

This innovation, if proven competitive and adopted by transit systems, will encourage use of public transportation through ease of use and convenience, which in turn should increase ridership, decrease the number of cars on the road, and lower green house gas emissions. The tracker also provides transit authorities with technology usage statistics for the optimization of routes and schedules.

 

PSI Technologies

PSI Technologies in Saskatoon is on the cutting edge of sustainable infrastructure technology.

The company’s Mechanistic Material Characterization Design Method is a road design system that uses scientific measures and models that can compare different approaches and materials used for building roads. The PSI Method provides modeling that can simulate the actual performance of any road design to 95% accuracy.

The PSI Structural Asset Management system evaluates an existing road and its structural viability, using Ground Penetrating Radar and other non-destructive tests to provide a high resolution analysis of the road and give an estimate of its expected lifespan.

The company is also currently developing a project that uses recycled asphalt concrete in road rehabilitation.

 

University of Regina Grey Water Reclamation System

The University of Regina (U of R) is interested in what’s going down the drain – mainly perfectly good water. This innovation, researched by the U of R’s Dr. Stephanie Young, is looking at creating a portable grey water recycling plant for municipalities which will result in more efficient water re-use, and reduction in demand for fresh and treated water. Dr. Young’s research involves the installation of a greywater reclamation plant in the University of Regina’s new Research and Innovation Centre. The reclaimed water from kitchen and bathroom sinks can be reused for non-drinking purposes such as toilet flushing and irrigation, resulting not only in water savings, but water bill savings for homeowners and businesses.

 

Mainstream Water Solutions Arsenic Removal Technology

Working in collaboration with the University of Regina, Communities of Tomorrow, and the National Research Council of Canada, Mainstream is developing a method to remove arsenic from municipal drinking water.

This innovation uses iron and ozone-assisted bio-filtration for the removal of harmful arsenic from water. It will allow municipalities to greatly reduce the costs of water treatment due to the simplicity of the system, which is gravity-fed and requires no additional chemicals. The system is particularly useful for small municipalities who will embrace its simplicity of use, low cost of operation and reliability, making for a cleaner, safer water supply. Mainstream field-tested the innovation in the Resort Village of Kannata Valley and the Village of Buena Vista this year.