Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies

What Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies does

CAWT (Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies) is an applied research centre operating within Fleming College, a public Canadian college located at the Frost Campus in Lindsay, Ontario. Founded in 2004 as the Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment and rebranded in 2018, the centre specializes in water and wastewater technology R&D with particular depth in constructed/treatment wetlands, bioreactors, and cold-climate wastewater solutions including Arctic tundra applications. CAWT serves small and medium-sized water technology companies requiring third-party R&D support, technology validation, and regulatory testing, alongside federal and municipal government agencies (notably the Department of National Defence at CFS Alert) and academic collaborators.

The centre's core technology stack includes SubWet 2.0, a subsurface wetland modeling software co-developed with the United Nations Environment Programme that simulates nitrogen and phosphorus removal in cold and warm climates, and an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited laboratory that is the only such facility among Ontario colleges. CAWT holds NSERC Technology Access Centre designation since 2014, renewed in 2024 for an additional five-year term, and operates customizable indoor/outdoor testing space plus a dedicated Onsite Wastewater Research & Testing Facility. CAWT has completed 400+ projects and engaged 225+ industry and government partners since inception.

CAWT operates as a non-profit research entity funded primarily through recurrent government grants from NSERC's College and Community Innovation Program and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, supplemented by fee-for-service applied research contracts and competitive project grants. Cumulative awarded research funds total approximately CAD $29.25 million across 2004-2024. With 11-50 employees, the centre has built international collaborations spanning India (Canada-India Water Training Consortium), China (Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute), and the United Nations, alongside conference presence at WEFTEC, World Water-Tech North America, and OOWA events.

Name

Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies

Legal name

Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies

Website

https://cawt.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAWT is an NSERC Technology Access Centre within Fleming College (Lindsay, Ontario) providing applied research, ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing, and technology verification services for water and wastewater SMEs, government agencies, and academic partners, with deep specialization in cold-climate and Arctic treatment wetlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research Services (Water and Wastewater R&D)

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUANAAAG

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Water & Wastewater Utilities/Drinking Water Supply & Distribution

SECONDARYEUANAJAK

Quality Assurance/Quality Control & Accreditation (QA plans, proficiency testing, ISO/IEC 17025)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Water & Wastewater Utilities/Water Quality Testing, Compliance & Reporting

SECONDARYEUAHABAB

Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Regulatory Compliance & Auditing (Air, Water, Waste)

SECONDARYEUAHAKAF

Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Data Management, Modeling & GIS/Remote Sensing

Keywords

• Water and wastewater research
• Applied research services
• Technology testing and verification
• Wetland modeling software
• Environmental laboratory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lindsay

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NSERC Technology Access Centre Funding: CAWT receives recurrent government funding through NSERC's College and Community Innovation Program as a designated Technology Access Centre. This supports core operations for five-year renewable terms.
2. Applied Research Services: Fee-for-service research and testing services provided to industry partners, government agencies, and other organizations requiring water/wastewater technology development, verification, and optimization.
3. Project-Based Research Grants: CAWT secures competitive research grants from funding bodies such as Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), federal and provincial ministries for specific research projects and infrastructure expansion.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CAWT provides applied research, technology testing, verification, and certification services for water and wastewater technologies, primarily serving small- and medium-sized enterprises and government agencies. It maintains an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited laboratory, an onsite wastewater research and testing facility, and conducts specialized research in cold-climate and Arctic treatment wetlands. It also developed the SubWet 2.0 wetland modeling software in partnership with UNEP for designing constructed wetlands to treat domestic wastewater.

Product overview

The Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies (CAWT) is a Technology Access Centre (TAC) at Fleming College providing specialized water and wastewater R&D services. The organization operates as a single integrated research center offering applied research services, technology testing/verification/certification, and specialized facilities. Key offerings include the SubWet 2.0 wetland modeling software (developed with UNEP), an onsite wastewater research and testing facility, and tundra treatment wetlands research for Arctic applications. CAWT helps companies develop, optimize, and test water and wastewater technologies through partnerships with over 200 industry and government organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Applied Research Services Provides access to specialized technology, equipment, and expertise to help small- and medium-sized companies develop, optimize, or test their water and wastewater technologies through applied research partnerships, regardless of product development stage.
• Technology Testing, Verification, and Certification Services Offers technology testing, verification, and certification services to provide quality, accurate, reliable results for client consumer confidence, regulatory compliance support, and product performance assurance.
• SubWet 2.0 Software Subsurface Wetland Model software developed with UNEP for designing constructed wetlands to improve water quality and treat domestic wastewater. Supports cold and warm climate applications and simulates the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus; used by water resource managers, engineers, and regulators worldwide.
• Onsite Wastewater Research & Testing Facility Customizable indoor and outdoor project space with an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited laboratory for testing water and wastewater technologies, located north of Lindsay, Ontario.
• Tundra Treatment Wetlands Research Specialized research and publications on using tundra wetlands for municipal wastewater treatment in Canada's Far North, including guidelines and manuals for cold-climate application.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ industry and government partners served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• QuantWave Technologies Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Fleming College and QuantWave collaborated to investigate the capability of QuantWave's intelligent sensing system to provide early warning of COVID-19 outbreaks when monitoring wastewater. Fleming College received $75,000 NSERC funding for this project.
• Southern Ontario Water Consortium (SOWC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2015CAWT joined SOWC as a post-secondary partner, becoming the first new member since SOWC's establishment in 2011. CAWT participates in the Advancing Water Technologies (AWT) program and collaborative industry-led projects. SOWC features CAWT projects including work with UV Pure and Greyter Water Systems.
• Canada-India Water Training ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2014CAWT leads the Canada-India Water Training Consortium (C-IWTC) including Centennial College, Confederation College, Northern College, and Ontario Clean Water Agency. Partnership with India's NSDC and ReserWater Innovation Foundation provides water sector training and skills development in India. Supported during State Visit by Governor General of Canada.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2009CAWT collaborated with UNEP to develop SubWet 2.0, subsurface wetland modeling software that assists in design of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. The software is used globally by water resource managers, engineers, and regulators. CAWT revised the software to include cold climate simulation models.
• Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCWA partnered with CAWT on the Canada-India Water Training Consortium and collaborates on Ganges River cleanup project with other colleges.
• Trent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWT partnered with Trent University's Institute of Watershed Science on tundra treatment wetlands research (2014). Also collaborated on Noble Purification Euglena testing project with federal research funding.
• Department of National DefencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFleming College is under contract with DND to assess the efficacy of the terrace wetland system treating wastewater at CFS Alert, the world's northernmost settlement. Multiple field seasons conducted since 2013.
• WaterTAP (Water Technology Acceleration Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWT Director Dr. Brent Wootton served as Vice-Chair and later Chair of WaterTAP, Ontario's water technology acceleration organization established under the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act.
• Water Research And Innovation Network (WRAIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRAIN is a collaborative effort involving CAWT, industry leaders, economic development professionals, and government working to solve water issues in Kawartha Lakes. Manages projects involving 30+ companies, 250 lakes, 6 wastewater plants, and 21 water facilities.
• Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA)coreOthersCALA granted CAWT ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation following assessment, making CAWT the only college laboratory in Ontario with this certification.
• BlueLeaf Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWT partnered with BlueLeaf Inc. on a federally-funded watershed and lake rehabilitation project at Petit-lac-Saint-Francois in Quebec. CAWT received $75,000 NSERC CCI funding to support this research.
• GLOBE Performance SolutionsminorOthersListed as organization CAWT is proud to be part of, supporting performance solutions in the water sector.
• Tech-Access CanadaminorOthersListed as organization CAWT is proud to be part of, providing access to specialized technology and expertise.
• SONAMIminorOthersListed as organization CAWT is proud to be part of, representing a water industry association.
• Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute (YRCTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWT entered an agreement with China's YRCTI for student and faculty exchanges. Signed during Ontario Premier's Science and Tech Mission to China led by Premier Wynne.
• Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association (OOWA)minorOthersCAWT is an active member of OOWA. CAWT's Manager Jennifer Andersen was featured in OOWA's Summer 2022 newsletter.
• Murrenhil CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWT tested Murrenhil's ROC Oil Cling Pad extensively for efficacy verification. Results showed the pad adsorbs 20-30 times its own weight and 40-60% more hydrocarbons than conventional pads.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NSF International: Global testing, inspection, and certification organization that performs water-quality and water-product testing (e.g., NSF/ANSI 350, 61 standards). Directly comparable as an accredited water-testing/certification lab that issues compliance certifications to water-technology OEMs.
• Xylem Inc. Global water technology company with a portfolio spanning water quality, treatment, and metering. Comparable as a larger incumbent whose products and customer base overlap with the technologies CAWT tests and verifies.
• Trojan Technologies: London, Ontario-based manufacturer of UV water treatment systems. Comparable as another Ontario-headquartered water technology company whose products require third-party testing and verification of the type CAWT provides.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global supplier of water and wastewater treatment solutions and operator of municipal/industrial treatment assets. Comparable as a larger incumbent across the same water-quality monitoring, compliance, and treatment technology stack that CAWT supports.
• Underwriters Laboratories (UL LLC) — Water & Sustainability: Global testing, inspection and certification body with established water-equipment certification programs. Comparable as a broader incumbent in water-product testing and certification where CAWT is a niche Canadian laboratory competitor.
• WSP Global (Water practice): Global engineering consultancy with a sizeable Canadian water and wastewater practice. Comparable as a large-scale provider of water/wastewater engineering and compliance services that competes for similar municipal/government R&D mandates.

Direct peers

• VerifiGlobal (previously GLOBE Performance Solutions): Performance verification organization for environmental and water technologies. CAWT is listed as a partner; both organizations independently verify water/wastewater technologies for regulatory and consumer-confidence purposes.
• WaterTAP (Water Technology Acceleration Project): Ontario water technology accelerator. CAWT's former director (Dr. Brent Wootton) served as Chair, and the two organizations co-support Ontario-based water-tech SMEs — overlapping in acceleration, partnership, and R&D-support functions.
• Southern Ontario Water Consortium (SOWC): Multi-stakeholder water research and innovation consortium in Ontario of which CAWT is a member. Both serve overlapping SME and government clients via collaborative applied-research projects.

Regional players

• Global Institute for Water Security (University of Saskatchewan): Canadian academic water-research institute operating the Global Water Futures program. Comparable as a Canadian research entity delivering applied water/wastewater research, training, and policy support — primarily active in Western Canada rather than Ontario.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fleming-college-applied-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/flemingoari

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies