Grant: Alliance Grants
University of Windsor
$50,000.00
Remote water sensing technology with cloud-based platform to support environmental compliance monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic_x000d_ _x000d_
FY 2020-21
Summary
In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, environmental compliance monitoring has been limited and, in some cases, suspended because of social distancing requirements and other shortages in shipping services, laboratory analyses, and travel options. However, without these essential monitoring practices in place, environmental agencies, communities, and water utilities are facing unprecedented challenges to complete quality control, prevent pollution and maintain public safety. For example, in April 2020, Alberta suspended the compliance monitoring at 16 oilsands projects. Many northern communities, including indigenous communities, have raised concerns about the reduced environmental compliance monitoring during the pandemic. The rapidly growing concerns for potential water incidents call for a supplementary compliance monitoring program, which can provide remote access to sufficient data related to water quality changes and respond to pollution in real-time. The urgency of developing this technology is high with the risk of additional waves of virus outbreaks that could further postpone environmental monitoring.
The purpose of this project is to adapt this technology to support remote environmental compliance monitoring under COVID-19 pandemic scenarios. Once adapted, we will implement this freshwater analyzer at high-risk locations to use cloud-based data systems that will provide real-time comprehensive trending data related to water quality changes to stakeholders and regulators. We currently have ongoing projects in greenhouse, agricultural, and oil/gas field watersheds that will serve as sample sites. We will also study a list of emerging contaminants related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which may have been in, or would be released into watersheds via wastewater discharge or surface runoffs.
With remote real-time monitoring via a cloud-based platform, the project outcome will allow the government, conservation authorities, and regulatory agencies to effectively measure, monitor and identify pollution sources remotely during social distancing measures.
Program
Alliance Grants
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
554925-2020
Name nom
Mundle, Scott
Department département
Great Lakes Inst. for Environmental Res. (GLIER)
Organization id
37
Institution établissement
University of Windsor
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2020
Competition year année de concours
2020
Award amount
50000
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
400
Area of application group en
Environment
Area of application group fr
Environnement
Area of application en
Environment
Area of application fr
Environnement
Research subject code
4201
Research subject group en
Geochemistry and geochronology
Research subject group fr
Géochimie et géochronologie
Research subject en
Environmental geochemistry
Research subject fr
Géochimie environnementale
Installment
inst:1 - 1
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
Remote water sensing technology with cloud-based platform to support environmental compliance monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic_x000d_
_x000d_
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, environmental compliance monitoring has been limited and, in some cases, suspended because of social distancing requirements and other shortages in shipping services, laboratory analyses, and travel options. However, without these essential monitoring practices in place, environmental agencies, communities, and water utilities are facing unprecedented challenges to complete quality control, prevent pollution and maintain public safety. For example, in April 2020, Alberta suspended the compliance monitoring at 16 oilsands projects. Many northern communities, including indigenous communities, have raised concerns about the reduced environmental compliance monitoring during the pandemic. The rapidly growing concerns for potential water incidents call for a supplementary compliance monitoring program, which can provide remote access to sufficient data related to water quality changes and respond to pollution in real-time. The urgency of developing this technology is high with the risk of additional waves of virus outbreaks that could further postpone environmental monitoring.
The purpose of this project is to adapt this technology to support remote environmental compliance monitoring under COVID-19 pandemic scenarios. Once adapted, we will implement this freshwater analyzer at high-risk locations to use cloud-based data systems that will provide real-time comprehensive trending data related to water quality changes to stakeholders and regulators. We currently have ongoing projects in greenhouse, agricultural, and oil/gas field watersheds that will serve as sample sites. We will also study a list of emerging contaminants related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which may have been in, or would be released into watersheds via wastewater discharge or surface runoffs.
With remote real-time monitoring via a cloud-based platform, the project outcome will allow the government, conservation authorities, and regulatory agencies to effectively measure, monitor and identify pollution sources remotely during social distancing measures.
