Thirsty Work: Balancing water management and hydrogen development

Yves Matson is a seasoned water strategy expert with over two decades of experience at the intersection of sustainable resource development, industrial water treatment, and project delivery. As Director of Strategic Development at Integrated Sustainability, Yves brings a systems-level perspective to water sourcing and treatment challenges, with a strong emphasis on decarbonization pathways, circular economy solutions, and emissions reduction.

His deep understanding of integrated water management—spanning surface water, groundwater, produced water, and industrial effluents—positions him as a key enabler in the hydrogen economy, where reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally sound water supply is critical. Yves has led the conceptualization and deployment of advanced water reuse and treatment systems, including zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technologies and thermal distillation using waste heat, enabling cleaner hydrogen production and reduced freshwater dependency.

Yves is an advocate for aligning infrastructure innovation with environmental stewardship and regulatory compliance. His work supports hydrogen producers in meeting stringent ESG targets while unlocking new opportunities in water-stressed and disposal-constrained regions.

Dr. Jon Fennell, M.Sc., Ph.D., P.Geol., has been a practicing consultant in the natural resource sector for over 30 years, offering support in the environmental sciences and resource management. His experience includes contaminated sites assessment, developing local and regional-scale groundwater systems, mine dewatering strategies, water supply and disposal, groundwater-surface water interaction assessment, implementation of monitoring and management systems, climate analysis and adaptation strategies, and environmental forensics.

A majority of Jon’s experience is associated with various oil & gas and mineral resource development projects in Canada and abroad. Jon has also worked closely with the Alberta Government through various initiatives to support the Water for Life Strategy, the Land Use Framework, and the Cumulative Effects Management System in the province. A primary area of focus is developing strategies to ensure water security and communicating the importance of water knowledge in relation to sustainable development activities.

Adam Leece is the Manager of Decarbonization and Disclosure at Integrated Sustainability. With over 20 years of professional engineering experience, he possesses a broad skill set spanning energy systems, decarbonization strategies, civil and environmental engineering, regulatory compliance, and project management. His background includes work across multiple jurisdictions and industries, where he has led initiatives that leverage existing infrastructure and capitalize on the strengths of each sector to drive innovation in clean technology. His contributions encompass areas such as critical minerals, the advancement of decarbonization in energy systems, energy efficiency programs, and strategic advisory services. Adam has managed complex and challenging projects, skillfully assessing and mitigating risks, formulating program strategies and plans, and executing projects through to completion.