Fleming College

Lindsay, ON – October 12, 2010 – Fleming College is one of a select group of colleges in Canada to receive funding from the College and Community Innovation Program, a collaborative initiative between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, made the announcement earlier today in Bathurst, New Brunswick, where a total of $15 million in funding was awarded, with Fleming College receiving $2.3 million of the funds. Matching cash and in-kind contributions from industry partners brings the Fleming award to $4.6 million.

Approximately 30 colleges across Canada have received this funding from the College and Community Innovation Program to date.

Fleming’s Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment (CAWT), led by Senior Scientist Dr. Brent Wootton, will utilize the funding to continue its highly regarded research on water and wastewater treatment technologies and the development and implementation of strategies for the integration of the these new technologies with the work of industry partners.

“The Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment continues to be regionally, nationally and internationally recognized for its advancements in wastewater research. This funding will ensure further study is done by both Centre scientists and students studying at Fleming’s Frost Campus,” said Fleming College President Tony Tilly.

The CAWT specializes in applied research on alternative, innovative, and emerging wastewater treatment technologies with emphasis on cold and temperate climates and on low cost, high efficiency technologies including biological treatment systems, phytotechnology, and other environmentally sound technologies.

Recent research and partnership projects at the CAWT include:

• Integrated watershed management with a focus on improved capture of phosphorus contaminants in water and exploring uses of biochar for use in agriculture and water quality.
• The development of water use efficiencies and improved water treatment for nutrient removal in greenhouses. Converting municipal waste and agricultural waste into worm castings.
• The project will address the application of vermicasting technologies to produce growth substrates and fertilizers which are eligible for organic crop production.
• Investigating methods to mitigate the leaching of harmful contaminants from large volumes of log piles and wood residue (sawdust, bark, chips, other debris).
• A pilot scale study of a media engineered to remove phosphorous from water for use in stormwater treatment.

During the International Polar Year, Fleming researchers studied the use of constructed wetlands to treat wastewater in Nunavut. This led to the development of the modelling software, SubWet 2.0, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme. This software is now distributed to developing countries to improve water quality and sanitation.

Dr. Wootton has recently participated in United Nations Wastewater Taskforce meetings in Japan, and Switzerland and in a UN water assessment in Kenya.

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