The University of Guelph and other universities in the Southern Ontario Water Consortium will benefit from up to $12 million in new funding announced today by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The funding will come from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

The consortium, based at the University of Waterloo, is working on new clean-water technologies. The new support will help the consortium partner with businesses and non-profits to work on new projects.

Trudeau made the announcement in Waterloo Thursday. “By investing in groups like the Southern Ontario Water Consortium we’re investing in our economy, we’re investing in our environment, we’ve investing in our communities but above all, we’re investing in our future,” he said.

Daniel Atlin, U of G’s vice-president (external), John Livernois, associate vice-president (research services), and Sherri Cox, executive director, global development, innovation, and research, attended the event.

Also present was U of G engineering professor Ed McBean, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Water Supply Security.

McBean heads the wastewater research node, one of five research nodes within the water consortium begun in 2011. The City of Guelph is also involved.

The wastewater node includes a cutting-edge facility with pilot-scale treatment systems at the City of Guelph’s waste-water treatment plant. Researchers use the facility to test technologies for treating and recycling waste water.

Other schools involved in the consortium are Western University, Wilfrid Laurier University, McMaster University, the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Fleming College.