CIMA+ wins ACEC award for Ottawa drinking water system upgrades
Ontario Construction News staff writer
CIMA+ has won the Project of the Year award at the 2026 Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC) National Awards for upgrades to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and human-machine interface systems used in Ottawa’s drinking water network.
The award was presented Oct. 29 at the ACEC National Awards Gala in Ottawa, which recognized consulting engineering projects across Canada for technical innovation, environmental stewardship and contributions to communities.
The CIMA+ project modernized the technology used to operate the city’s drinking water treatment and distribution network, improving monitoring, control, cybersecurity and system reliability.
The upgrades replaced a legacy system that relied on large, stationary consoles requiring separate updates at each of 40 sites with a centralized architecture operated through lightweight terminals.
The new system was deployed without disrupting water service.
The independent jury recognized the project for its technical excellence, innovation and contribution to public health and resilient infrastructure.
Four firms also received special awards. Klohn Crippen Berger and AtkinsRéalis won the Prosperity Award for the Site C Clean Energy Project, while BBA Consultants received the Catalyst Award for its Mangrove Lithium Refining Facility.
Binnie received the Breton Environmental Stewardship Award for the Silver Skagit Road Flood Recovery project, and BBA Consultants won the Engineering a Better Canada Award for the Saa/Se Energy Project.
ACEC also presented 16 Awards of Excellence recognizing achievements across the consulting engineering sector.
The 2026 Beaubien Award for lifetime achievement was presented to two recipients: Alex Brisson, president and CEO of Norda Stelo, and Darryl Matson, senior vice-president and senior project director with COWI.
Environmental engineer Jessica LeNoble, with Kerr Wood Leidal in British Columbia, received the Allen D. Williams Scholarship Award.
“The ACEC National Awards showcase not just the technical excellence of Canada’s world-leading consulting engineering industry, but its enormous impact on society,” said ACEC president and CEO John Gamble.
“The projects that won tonight are vital to their communities, helping people live better lives, powering economic growth, and shaping the future through innovation.”
