THIS EPISODE: Dipping Into Water Data
We all know access to clean water is vital. We also know that water quality and access is jeopardized by things like pollution and drought. On the other hand, the growing frequency of powerful downpours causes stormwater issues. All that to say, the state of the water we rely on for so many thing is in constant flux. What we need is good, local data, about the bodies of water that sustain us.
That’s where Mary Kruk, water data specialist with DataStream, and Steph Neufeld, watershed manager with Edmonton’s water utility EPCOR, can help. With DataStream, Kruk helps compile water data from all over the country, and make it available and easily accessible to everyone who needs it. In Edmonton, Neufeld is using that data to inform the City about it’s many important watersheds.
Here’s Neufeld on the importance of water quality guidelines:
What it does is you’re going to start asking questions: ‘Why did it go up? Why did it go down?’ And, once you start asking those questions, you improve your watershed literacy and you start to understand your own impact on that level, you start to understand watershed drivers, and you start to improve general watershed literacy and science literacy for people. And it starts with a base language.
Listen to the episode to hear more about water quality.
The Future Fix is a partnership between Spacing and Evergreen for the Community Solutions Network. As the program lead, Evergreen is working with Open North to help communities of all sizes across Canada navigate the smart cities landscape. The Community Solutions Network is supported with funding provided by the Government of Canada.
