Environment: 1) updated: boil water advisory lifted for remaining affected areas in Collingwood – updated dec. 15th; 2) How sewage can be used to heat and cool buildings; 3) The holiday shopping season comes with tons of extra emissions. Here’s how to do it sustainably

1) (Updated) Boil water advisory lifted for remaining affected areas in Collingwood, updated – Dec. 15, 2025

Courtesy Barrie360.com and News Release
By Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, Dec. 15, 2025

The amended Boil Water Advisory (BWA) issued on Dec. 13, 2025 has been lifted as of noon on Dec. 15, 2025 by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit for the impacted areas mainly in the eastern and southern parts of the Town of Collingwood (shown in the linked map), including Hwy 26 East and surrounding areas east of the Pretty River and properties between Poplar Side Road and Tracey Lane/Findlay Drive.

Laboratory test results have confirmed that the water is free from contamination and is safe to drink. Any facilities that were closed due to the advisory can now reopen after taking the necessary precautions.

Residents and businesses in the eastern and southern parts of Collingwood as shown on the map and list of affected streets should take the following steps before using their water:

The boil water advisory issued for Collingwood on Friday was amended Saturday afternoon by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. The advisory was originally issued broadly on a precautionary basis while the integrity and safety of the municipal water system were confirmed. Following further investigation of the watermain break located near Hume Street and Pretty River Parkway, it was determined that the impact is limited to specific areas of the community and does not affect the entire Town. Only residences and businesses within the impacted areas mainly in the eastern and southern parts of the Town, including Highway 26 East and surrounding areas east of the Pretty River and properties between Poplar Side Road and Tracey Lane/Findlay Drive remain under a Boil Water Advisory; all other areas are no longer under an advisory.

For residents and businesses within the impacted area under the advisory, drinking water directly from the tap is not safe at this time and can result in illness. Residents are advised to boil their water before use or, as an alternative, use bottled water or commercially treated water from an approved source. Restaurants, bars and other food service in the impacted area (excluding facilities that sell pre-packaged food) must remain closed for the duration of the advisory.

2) How sewage can be used to heat and cool buildings

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Isabella O’Malley and Brittany Peterson, December 19, 2025

When a massive event center was being developed in Denver, planners had to contend with two existing 6-foot (1.8 meters) wide sewer pipes that emptied into the river, creating an unsightly dilemma. Developers wanted to bury them. The utility said the wastewater needed to vent heat before entering the river.

There, a problem became a solution.

Thermal energy from the sewage now powers a system that heats and cools classrooms, an equestrian center and veterinary hospital at the National Western Center complex.

It’s a recent example of how wastewater flushed down the drain can heat and cool buildings in a sustainable way. Climate experts say sewage is a largely untapped source of energy due to its stable temperature of approximately 70 F (21 C). Wastewater heat recovery systems have already been installed in California, Washington, Colorado, New York and Canada. Pipes that transport sewage are already built, making it a low-cost and widely available resource that reduces the need for polluting energy sources.

There’s no odor since the thermal energy transfer systems keep the wastewater separate from other components.

“Wastewater is the last frontier of sustainable energy,” said Aaron Miller, the eastern regional manager for SHARC Energy, adding: “Even in this current environment where environmental stuff doesn’t really sell, there’s a financial benefit that we can sell to business owners.”

While the technology works in a variety of locations, the Denver complex was uniquely positioned because it’s close to major sewer lines in a low-lying industrial zone. The vast majority of the center’s heating and cooling comes from wastewater heat recovery. During extremely hot or cold weather, cooling towers and boilers are used to fill in the gaps.

“Every city on the planet has a place just like this,” said Brad Buchanan, the center’s CEO. “This is actually a value, a benefit that the bottoms have that the rest of the city doesn’t have.”

How heat from sewage can warm buildings

Extracting the thermal energy starts with the water from toilets, showers and sinks traveling down usual sewage lines before flowing into a tank that is part of the heat recovery system. Heavy solids are separated and the remaining fluid flows through a heat exchanger, a sealed device with stacks of metal plates that can take heat from one source and put it into another.

Thermal energy from the wastewater is transferred to a clean water loop without the liquids coming into contact. The clean water carrying the thermal energy is then sent into a heat pump that can heat or cool rooms, depending on the weather. It can also heat potable water. Once the thermal energy has been extracted, the wastewater flows back into the sewer system and eventually to a water treatment plant.

The heat from the sewage replaces the need for energy from other sources to heat and cool buildings, such as electricity from the grid. Electricity is only needed to run the heat exchanger and pumps that move the water, far more energy efficient than boilers and chillers used in traditional HVAC systems.

Where wastewater heating is being used

Miller said the systems work best in buildings with centralized hot water production, such as apartments, commercial laundromats, car washes and factories. In residential settings, Miller said the technology is best suited for buildings with 50 or more apartment units. The technology works in various climates around the country. Some buildings supplement with traditional HVAC components.

The technology utilizes existing city pipes, which reduces the need for construction compared to some types of renewable energy, said Ania Camargo Cortes, a thermal energy networks expert and board member of the nonprofit HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team).

“If you can use wastewater, it’s going to be an enormous savings … its billions of kilowatts available to us to use,” said Camargo Cortes.

According to 2005 data from the U.S. Department of Energy, the equivalent of 350 billion kilowatt-hours’ worth of hot water is flushed down drains each year.

In Vancouver, Canada, a wastewater heat recovery system helps supply heat and hot water to 47 buildings served by the False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility. In 2025, 60% of the energy the utility generated came from sewage heat recovery, said Mark Schwark, director of water and utilities management at the City of Vancouver.

The future of wastewater heat recovery

Aaron Brown, associate professor of systems engineering at Colorado State University, said he believes use of the wastewater heat recovery systems will grow because it is an efficient, low-carbon system that is relatively easy to install.

Unlike solar or wind power that can vary by weather or time of day, thermal energy from sewage can be available whenever it’s needed, Brown said.

“I think that to decarbonize, we have to think of some innovative solutions. And this is one that is not that complicated as far as the engineering technology, but it’s very effective,” said Brown.

Epic Cleantec, which makes water reuse systems for office and apartment buildings, is expanding into heat recovery after previously focusing on treating water for toilets and irrigation. The company recently installed a wastewater heat recovery system in a high-rise building in San Francisco.

Aaron Tartakovsky, co-founder and CEO of Epic Cleantec, said people have been conditioned to think that wastewater is dirty and should always be discarded, but his company recently launched two beers in collaboration with a brewer made from recycled shower and laundry water to illustrate novel ways to reuse it.

“I think wastewater recovery is going to be a continuously growing thing because it’s something that we’re not taking advantage of,” said Tartakovsky.

___ Peterson reported from Denver and O’Malley from Philadelphia.

3)The holiday shopping season comes with tons of extra emissions. Here’s how to do it sustainably

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Caleigh Wells, December 13, 2025

We’re in the thick of the holiday shopping season, and U.S. residents are expected to shatter the spending record again this year. The National Retail Federation forecasts that 2025 will be the first time we collectively spend more than $1 trillion on year-end gifts.

A lot of materials, energy, packaging and gasoline have gone into making and moving those gifts. All of those processes release planet-warming gases into the atmosphere.

But a lot of that environmental impact is avoidable. Making, baking, thrifting and avoiding traditional wrapping paper are all more planet-friendly ways to give. We’ve got tips on how to do them all.

Homemade doesn’t have to be difficult

Sure, if you’ve got the skill to turn a wooden bowl or needlepoint a Christmas stocking, those gifts are guaranteed to be unique and meaningful. But not all of us have the knowledge or time.

Sandra Goldmark, associate dean of Columbia Climate School’s Office of Engagement and Impact, said one of her favorite options is an act of service for a loved one. One year, for example, her husband organized all her passwords for her.

“It was not something easy to wrap and put under the tree, but believe me, it was meaningful and really helped me more than any additional object cluttering up my home could have,” she said.

Another winner: food. If, say, you have a long list of recipients, buy ingredients in bulk and pack them in Mason jars. Cookie mix, soup mix, sourdough starter and spice mixes are all easily sealed and transported that way. Add some ribbon and a sprig of cedar, and it’s festive. Homemade baked goods and snacks are other options.

“It’s inexpensive, but it takes care and time and attention,” said sustainable living educator Sarah Robertson-Barnes.

Give experiences instead of buying more stuff

The advice here starts out simple: Buy less stuff. The best way to give gifts more sustainably is to buy fewer new things, said Goldmark.

Stockings can be a common spot for toys that break quickly before going straight to the landfill. Instead, you can fill stockings with things that your friends or family need anyway, like toothbrushes or body wash, or traditional treats like fruit and chocolates.

Giving someone an experience is another popular option. That might mean a pair of concert tickets, a spa day, a gift card to a favorite local restaurant, a local news subscription or a membership to a local garden or zoo that the recipient can use over and over. Research has indicated that experiences strengthen relationships better than material gifts do.

“There is so much that you could do by just saying, ‘I would prefer if you just made me a nice meal or took me out for some sort of adventure,’” said Atar Herziger, environmental psychologist and assistant professor at Technion — Israel Institute of Technology.

Experiences also come with less packaging. Herziger cautions, though, that travel can have a high impact especially if it involves planes. So she recommends local options like a nearby hike or a staycation.

And if you’re unsure what experience your loved one would prefer? Herziger said don’t overcomplicate it — just ask.

Go Vintage

Secondhand gifts are easier on the planet because they involve less manufacturing, packaging and shipping. Robertson-Barnes looks to Facebook Marketplace or her local Buy Nothing group to find items that she would have otherwise bought new.

“I bet somebody has the thing that you’re looking for and they would love to get rid of it,” she said.

Still, for some recipients, secondhand gifts are taboo.

“We do have a weird cultural thing where new is better and used is gross,” said Robertson-Barnes, who suggested reframing used gifts as “vintage.”

Similarly, Herziger said secondhand options might be received better when they’re items that can’t be bought new, such as a family heirloom or a collectible that isn’t produced anymore.

Goldmark looks to thrift stores for smaller toys or mugs. Record stores, used book stores, furniture stores and antique shops are other options. And of course big names like eBay and Goodwill can have rare and unique finds, too.

If buying secondhand simply won’t work for a recipient, Goldmark said to focus on items that are high-quality, long-lasting, repairable and really needed. That ensures that it’s worth investing in and reduces the chance that it gets returned. Look to buy locally, rather than ordering online, to reduce how far it travels.

The wrapping matters, too

Millions of pounds of wrapping paper end up in the landfill every year. Much of it is blended with plastic to make it shiny or sparkly, so it can’t be recycled.

Not sure whether your wrapping paper is recyclable? Check your local recycler’s website for guidelines, or try a simple test by crumpling it into a ball. If it holds its shape, it’s more likely recyclable. Also, if it rips as easily as printer paper or gets soggy like a saturated brown grocery bag, those are good signs it’s recyclable, too.

Robertson-Barnes said if you already have wrapping paper on hand, you should use it rather than waste it. But once it’s gone, she recommends reusable wrapping cloths such as furoshiki, a traditional Japanese fabric for presenting gifts.

Some experts also recommend gift bags as long as they’re reused — and not tossed.

Another cheaper and more planet-friendly alternative to wrapping paper is newspaper or brown paper bags. Tie them off with reusable ribbon, a couple pinecones or a candy cane and suddenly it’s festive.

Plus, brown paper is a blank canvas with endless opportunities for customization. “If you’ve got kids, then their drawings are wonderful packaging materials. They make the best wrapping paper,” Herziger said.