The Town of Midland has won a national award for using artificial intelligence to manage its water and wastewater systems.
AquaHacking, an initiative of the water-focused organization AquaAction, presented Midland with its Community Water Innovation Award, which recognizes municipalities making a tangible difference in water management and inspiring others, according to a Town of Midland news release.
The award highlights the town's use of AI and data-driven tools to safeguard drinking water and wastewater services in the north Simcoe community.
"Safe, reliable water and wastewater services are essential to the health of our community and local economy," said Mayor Bill Gordon in the release. "By embracing new technologies, we're strengthening our ability to make informed decisions, safeguard critical infrastructure, and maximize value for taxpayers."
Predicting failures before they happen
Midland's Environmental Services team partnered with CANN Forecast, a Montreal-based technology company specializing in artificial intelligence, to build predictive models that flag the water and wastewater assets at greatest risk of failure.
The models cover Midland's more than 200 kilometres of water and wastewater infrastructure.
"These tools provide valuable insight into the condition and risk of our infrastructure," said André Pepin, the town's Director of Environmental Services, in the release. "That information helps us plan maintenance and capital investments more effectively, improving service reliability and extending the lifespan of Town assets."
Second major recognition for the program
The AquaAction award is the second significant recognition for Midland's work in this area. In 2024, the town received the Peter J. Marshall Innovation Award from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for applying artificial intelligence to water and wastewater infrastructure planning.
The town says it continues to invest in both its data-driven asset management program and on-the-ground infrastructure improvements.
Alongside the AI work, Midland is moving ahead with numerous water and wastewater servicing projects backed by more than $30 million in provincial funding.
Residents can find details on those projects at midland.ca/WaterProjects.
