FlowH20 is a Canadian initiative that aims to mitigate the effects of the global water crisis by digitizing strategic water bodies to offer a real-time view of ecosystem health and better inform water use, conservation, and management.
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This flexible, affordable and scalable system will analyze and process large amounts of water quantity data to understand immediate water management needs. The technological developments include a software platform that will enhance data set visualization, and facilitate data utilization positioning Canada at the forefront of water resource management excellence.
The project aims to directly contribute to one of the foundational goals of the United Nations (UN): Clean Water and Sanitation (Goal 6). Any contribution achieved on this goal alone will have positive impacts across all other stated UN goals including “No Poverty” (Goal 1), “Quality Education” (Goal 4), “Zero Hunger” (Goal 2), and “Climate Action” (Goal 13).
Our ultimate goal is to introduce a new paradigm for water management that brings regional economic prosperity. Our solution proposes the use of affordable, cutting edge technology that relies on the expertise and governance of local groups around the world in charge of water stewardship and conservation.
FlowH2O will launch its first project in 2020 with focus on the Columbia Basin in southeastern British Columbia. Championed by local organizations, the project aims to advance the frontier of digital water management while addressing global water scarcity and fostering local and economic growth: a clear testament of what the innovative spirit of rural Canada can achieve.
We build partnerships and work collaboratively.
We are transparent in our dealings and methods.
We have a robust framework for digital governance.
We create new business models anchored on data.
A holistic approach to water data:
A collaborative model where diverse partners are brought together with the purpose of creating a digital repository around water.
A digital platform fed by a distributed data collection network that will improve regional water management.
A positive economic impact through the creation of new business models and jobs that utilize said data to create new or associated products.
The initiative is a Data Commons, an infrastructure platform and set of tools to analyze, share, store, and access both public and private water-related data. Through the utilization of low-power and low-cost sensors and networks, real-time data will be collected and aggregated to existing regional data sets. The sensors will measure rain frequency, duration, volume, soil saturation and water flow among others. The aggregation of the data sets and the integration of new and existing tools developed by the consortia and/or Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will support its implementation anywhere in Canada – and the world – to help protect water, people, ecosystems and the economy, as the demand for fresh water continues to rise.
We are a consortium of six organizations including SMEs, multinational companies, academia and not-for-profit organizations. The initiative was formed in 2019 with support from Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster.
The consortium members include Carl Data Solutions and its subsidiaries i4C Innovation and Astra Smart Systems, Living Lakes Canada, Teck Resources, University of Victoria, Genome British Columbia, and Microsoft.
