The Jerusalem Post reports, “Canada and Israel have agreed to work together going forward to promote a United Nations resolution that would double the percentage of wastewater reused across the world, the Energy and Water Ministry said on Sunday. The agreement is a result of a meeting on Sunday between Israeli Energy and Water Minister Uzi Landau and Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent, in Landau’s Jerusalem office. …’It would be great if we could work together to promote the subject, with an emphasis on assistance to third world countries,’ Kent (stated). …Kent added, ‘Canadian residents have much to learn from this country’s citizens about intelligent water use and conservation.'”
While the news article doesn’t go into detail, it highlights, “(Canada) is a natural partner to Israel in its ongoing effort to develop natural resources, according to Landau”. This is notable in that Canada and Canadian-owned businesses use treated wastewater for energy extraction.
This past September, Shell funded $11 million of a $12.5 million wastewater treatment plant in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. In exchange, Shell will be able to pipe up to 5,000 cubic-metres a day of wastewater from the town 45-kilometres away for its Groundbirch fracking operations for the next ten years. In San Jose del Progreso, Mexico, a subsidiary of the Vancouver-based mining company Fortuna Silver paid $1 million to restore the Ocotlan Grey Water Treatment Plant and will pay up to $45,000 a month for its operation over the next 15 years. In exchange, the company will receive 600 cubic metres of water per day brought to the mine by truck. And earlier this month, the City of Regina and Western Potash Corp. signed a 45-year agreement for the City’s wastewater to be sold for the company’s proposed Milestone potash mine in Saskatchewan.
The article notes that Landau stated his aspiration to increasingly reuse treated wastewater at the World Water Forum in Marseille, France. The article also reports, “Landau particularly thanked his colleague for Canada’s vote against the Palestinian bid for UN non-member observer status…”
