Pure water for people

Effective approach to improving water quality in Indigenous and rural communities combines smart solutions with local involvement and ownership

Water is the life of a community – the centre of an ecosystem that includes everything from education to housing to food production. Yet six million people living in Indigenous and rural communities in Canada face exposure to the negative health, social, and economic effects of untreated and contaminated drinking water.

A new collaboration among three Canadian partners – BI Pure Water, the RESEAU Centre for Mobilizing Innovation, and Transform Interactive – is combining all-in-one water treatment plants, a trusted community-centred approach, and augmented reality experiences to improve water quality and reduce the number of drinking water advisories. Indigenous Services Canada is also providing support.

The clean water solution comes from BI Pure Water. Its team designs, manufactures, tests, and services waste and water treatment systems, shipping packaged plants around the world. Each plant is designed to be “plug and play;” at the same time, each is customized to meet the needs of the community it is designed to support.

To understand and address those needs, the RESEAU Centre for Mobilizing Innovation, which advances sustainable improvements in drinking water health, employs its collaborative problem-solving process called Community Circle.™ All parties work together to define what success looks like, then develop tailored solutions for that community’s unique water health challenges.

The process works because true inclusivity builds grassroots confidence and trust, while promoting the development of products and services that serve the community well.

Essential focus on the rural environment

Keyvan Maleki is RESEAU’s Executive Director. He noted that most thinking and advancement in science and technology is focused on global mass markets, and specifically on the urban environment.

“It takes long-term dedication and commitment to serve the rural environment well. The diversity of cultures and variety of needs demands that providers have the skill and capacity for localization and customization. That’s resource-heavy and expensive, and businesses are finding little incentive to invest. But these communities should not be left out, left behind, or left alone.”

BI Pure Water co-owner George Thorpe said they are proud of their experience catering to remote communities, often in Canada’s far north, as well as the friendly relationships they have developed with local residents.

“We understand the context and environment – the local infrastructure, the living conditions, the people. We have placed 12 plants in Nunavut alone. We do this work because we have a passion for working with remote communities. Our employees care about the quality of life of the end users and are dedicated to serving them. This is not a transactional experience.”

Training using technology

To help those end users learn how to manage the BI Pure treatment plant, technology partner Transform Interactive creates AR (augmented reality) experiences to support local plant operators as they learn to set up, use, maintain, troubleshoot, and service their water treatment system.

AR experiences require only a computer, tablet, or phone (unlike its cousin, virtual reality, which requires a specialized headset and immerses you in a virtual environment). The simulated plant walkthroughs are more sophisticated and interactive than static drawings or models showing the equipment. The videos are enhanced by pop-up annotations that provide additional information about plant features.

“We took the time to explore the most equitable way to provide access to information in rural communities,” Maleki said. “From the beginning, the team at Transform Interactive listened carefully to understand what would be required, and how to help us show, not tell. We talked about using digital technology that would be accessible on any device and ways to elevate the training to be far more appealing than having to read a manual. And that Internet connectivity may not be available or robust.”

In this application and others, AR experiences can save time and money by speeding up the design process and reducing rework. BI Pure can share a virtual version of a water treatment plant design with the local stakeholders, who can experience it before it’s built and request design changes. They can also use the AR videos to communicate design choices to the shop floor.

Using AR to prepare for certification

In addition to plant-specific interactive experiences, a more general educational tool called OWL (Operators’ Walkthrough Lab) has also been built by Transform Interactive. Supported by a partnership between RESEAU and Indigenous Services Canada, the AR-based app is designed to train students graduating into the water industry or community members learning about drinking water disinfection.

Katy Thorne, a Wastewater Collections Operator in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, and a nominee for the 2022 National First Nations Water Leadership Award, said the OWL platform shows the power and reach of using augmented reality.

“OWL educates students using real-world applications. The built-in resources prepare operators for certification exams and provide training in operation and maintenance of small water systems. I believe that, ultimately, the Operators’ Walkthrough Lab will improve water treatment in rural communities.”

Life-changing impact

BI Pure Water’s packaged plants are in use in hundreds of locations across Canada, and they have contributed to many drinking water advisories being lifted.

Maleki said the goal is to build on that success and expand to more communities across Canada.

“Communities want to buy, build, own, and take pride in the solutions to their problems. The opportunity we have, as product leaders, is to harness voices from communities who have historically been left out of the process, and use that input for strategic innovation.”

For more information, visit bipurewater.com, www.reseaucmi.org, and transforminteractive.com.