Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 is to achieve, by 2030, universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all [1]. However, in many communities worldwide, drinking water sources are contaminated. In Canada, over 70% of First Nations communities are at risk of contamination [2]. Several are under long-term boil water advisories [3], which indicates that the drinking water is contaminated or suspected to be contaminated by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or protozoa [4]. Water-borne infections in First Nations communities are 26 times higher than the national average [5]; however, little information exists about the risk of contamination of these drinking water sources, especially viral contamination in these and other marginalized communities. This research program aims to address this knowledge gap using microbiology and molecular biology tools to identify microbial contaminants of concern in decentralized drinking water sources and to develop and evaluate technologies to monitor and inactivate them. The long-term goals of the research program are to develop and evaluate innovative, cost-effective, and energy efficient clean water technologies for the 21st century for reducing risk in decentralized water treatment systems. The systematic approach is to first develop a fundamental understanding of the problem and then to apply that knowledge to emerging technologies to address a specific engineering challenge. Building upon the applicant's previous work, this Discovery Grant program will characterize the microbial contaminants (specifically viruses) in source waters, including groundwater under the direct influence of surface waters, groundwater at risk of pathogens, and water in cisterns and then develop and evaluate inexpensive decentralized water treatment solutions. The program will further develop and evaluate ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) technology, which could be used in combination with other technologies to address drinking water contamination in First Nations communities and in marginalized communities abroad. A focus of this program is to work locally and transfer solutions globally. In this case, with a PhD student and a postdoctoral fellow from East Africa, the program will expand the research focus on water contamination in decentralized drinking water sources and potential treatment solutions to their home communities. Another focus of this program is to prepare trainees, including 2 PhD students, 2 MASc students, and 1 postdoctoral fellow, to enter today's workforce. Today's graduates face increasingly complex challenges, including a rapidly growing global population confronted by climate change, microbial and chemical contaminants, aging infrastructure, and a lack of critical water resources. This program will prepare them to handle pressing real-world challenges with knowledge, support, practical skills and ingenuity.