Alberta takes giant steps with new private and public partnerships to help manage water supply

The launch of the Alberta WaterPortal to help preserve a critical -- CALGARY, June 11 /CNW/ - The Alberta Society for Sustainable Water

Management and Related Technologies (Alberta WaterSMART) and the Bow River Basin Council (BRBC) and IBM announced today an important initiative to help manage the province's water supply - the establishment of a network of
technology, industry, watershed management and funding partnerships to launch the Alberta WaterPortal (WaterPortal), at www.albertawater.com.

The Suncor Energy Foundation is providing initial project funding, with Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies participating as a technology and content partner.

"Albertans are asking the province's Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils to lead the new debate about responsible and sustainable watershed management," says Bill Berzins, Chair of the Bow River Basin Council. "The WaterPortal will provide many of the tools needed to support the difficult decisions we must make."

Using new open source and web based technologies, the WaterPortal will enable free and open sharing of data, information, dialogue and knowledge on ground and surface water conditions, water management policies, best
practices, and conservation initiatives in Alberta and around the world.

"With the introduction of the WaterPortal, a major goal of Alberta WaterSMART has been accomplished," says Kim Sturgess, Alberta WaterSMART CEO. "Once fully operational, it is anticipated that the WaterPortal will provide
free and open access to water information, decision making tools and best practices for better water management throughout the province."

Supported by public and private partnerships, the WaterPortal will be interactive, user-friendly, and encourage dialogue and participation in managing the province's water resources. Supporting a variety of media formats
including video, photography, blogs and podcasts, and other dialogue tools, the WaterPortal will shed light on important water issues, connect groups with individuals, and share insights, new opportunities and best water practices.

IBM is committed to supporting efforts the province is dedicating to oil and gas resources, having recently contributed $3.1 million to the creation of an Oil Sands Centre of Excellence in Calgary. For this phase of the WaterPortal project, IBM will provide project management and technology architecture expertise. "Water plays a critical role in oil sands development,
and IBM is committed to working with all stakeholders to enhance access to information on water quality and quantity while sharing with the industry, the best practices in managing this critical resource," says Linus Hakimattar, Director of IBM Oil Sands Centre of Excellence.

The initial project focus will be in supporting the watershed planning needs of the Bow River Basin Council, one of the province's Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils. The BRBC is developing a multi-year plan to manage the
watershed within the basin, and will be using the WaterPortal to solicit input and feedback from its members living in the region, as well as to share water information and best practices. Once completed, this online tool will be available to all other Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils to develop their watershed plans.

The WaterPortal will also serve as a valuable water planning and knowledge sharing tool for many other public and private regional, national and global environmental organizations including industry, agriculture, research institutions and environmental groups.