Jana Levison

Instrumentation

Various equipment for groundwater fieldwork (multiparameter devices and sondes to measure field parameters and water quality; pressure transducers; telemetry systems; pumps; bacterial enumeration system; fluorimeter; field trailer; etc.) and software for numerical modelling.

Capabilities

Dr. Levison’s equipment can be used for groundwater monitoring (both water quantity and quality) and examining groundwater-surface water interactions.

Education and Employment Background

Dr. Jana Levison received her PhD in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University in 2009. From 2009 to 2010 she led engineering and public policy initiatives as Junior Fellow and Acting Executive Director of the Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy at Professional Engineers Ontario. In 2011, she held a position as a postdoctoral fellow at the Université du Québec à Montréal, working on multidisciplinary ecohydrological modeling related to climate change. Levison joined the University of Guelph in 2012 where she is now an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering (Water Resources Engineering and G360 Institute for Groundwater Research). She is also the inaugural Doody Family Chair for Women in Engineering (2022-2027).

Research Themes

Levison is conducting novel research related to agricultural and climate change impacts on groundwater quality and quantity, with a focus on sensitive aquifer settings. Levison is also interested in source water protection for Indigenous and rural communities; and fostering engineering and technological input into public discourse. Key areas of focus include:

1. Anthropogenic impacts on groundwater in sensitive aquifers. The intent of this research is to improve the understanding of the presence, persistence and transport of anthropogenic contaminants in sensitive hydrogeological settings. The research highlights the vulnerability of water in sensitive settings such as fractured bedrock aquifers and underscores the importance of protecting water at the source.
2. Groundwater quantity and stress in rural settings. Groundwater is the principal water source for farms, rural residents and many urban populations surrounded by agriculture in Canada. It is essential for food production (irrigation, livestock watering and processing) and as potable supply for rural well users. It is imperative that groundwater is used in quantities adequate for sustainability of the shared resource in the context of a changing climate and changing land uses. The primary objective of this research theme is to investigate water quantity and use in stressed environments, including the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources. 
3. Source water protection for First Nations communities. 

Highlights 

• International Association of Hydrogeologists-Canadian National Chapter (IAH-CNC) Early Career Hydrogeologist Award, 2020
• Review Editor of Frontiers in Water (Water and Climate section), 2020–present
• Associate Editor of the Hydrogeology Journal, 2015–2019
• Numerous grants from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), 2013–present
• Canada Foundation for Innovation, John R. Evans Leaders Fund, 2013
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant, 2013

Media Coverage

Groundwater Contaminants

• University of Guelph News: Lessons from Walkerton Make Water Safety a Priority
• Guelph Mercury: World Water Day experts says drugs in our water well below risk level
• Ontario Grain Farmer: Monitoring groundwater pollution

Groundwater Monitoring

• Environmental Monitor: Researchers pioneer continuous groundwater quality monitoring in Ontario

Awards and Accolades

• G360 Institute for Groundwater Research: Dr. Jana Levison Receives the IAH-CNC Early Career Hydrogeologist Award
• The Watering Hole Blog, Latornell Conservation Symposium: A Word from the WiSE
• Groundwater Canada: U of Guelph ground water studies receive funding from government, industry