Roles and Responsibilities Regarding the Provision of Safe, Clean Drinking
Water to First Nations Communities
In First Nations communities located south of 60 degrees parallel in
Canada, responsibility for ensuring safe drinking water on reserves is
shared between First Nations Band Councils and the Government of Canada.
Chiefs and Councils are responsible for planning and
developing their capital facilities which provide for the basic infrastructure
needs of the community, including drinking water. They are also responsible
for the day-to-day operation of water and wastewater systems on reserves,
including sampling and testing drinking water.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada provides funding
for water services and infrastructures such as the construction, upgrading,
operation and maintenance of water treatment facilities on First Nation
reserves. The department also provides financial support for the training
and certification of operators.
Health Canada, through its Community-Based Water Monitor
program, helps First Nations communities establish drinking water quality
sampling and testing capabilities to verify the overall quality of drinking
water at tap. Health Canada provides funds to Chief
and Council to employ drinking water monitors in the community
who can provide a final check on the overall safety of the water. Health
Canada trains these monitors to sample and test the drinking
water for potential bacteriological contamination.
Currently, almost 500 communities have drinking water quality monitors,
compared to four years ago, when there were just over 350 water monitors.
The First Nations Water Management Strategy announced in 2003, aims to
expand and improve the training of community-based drinking water quality
monitors who can carry out regular testing of drinking water and help
ensure continuing access to safe drinking water on reserves.
If a community does not have a community-based drinking water quality
monitor, an Environmental Health Officer, employed by
Health Canada or a First Nation, will sample and test drinking water
quality, with the community's permission.
Environmental Health Officers review, interpret and
disseminate drinking water quality sampling results to First Nation communities.
In all situations, if the water quality is found to be unsatisfactory,
the Environmental Health Officer will immediately communicate the appropriate
recommendation(s) to the Chief and Council for action,
for example, issuing a Boil Water Advisory.
Boil Water Advisories are preventive measures, recommended by Health
Canada, to protect public health from waterborne infectious
agents that could be, or are known to be present, in drinking water.
These announcements are a way to advise the public that they should
boil their tap water for drinking and for other uses.
It is the responsibility of the Chief and Council to
actually issue a Boil Water Advisory in the affected communities. Chief
and Council are also responsible for taking the necessary actions
to communicate Boil Water Advisories to residents and other appropriate
stakeholders, and to address the drinking water quality problem. Health
Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and other stakeholders are
available to provide advice and assistance.
A Boil Water Advisory may be recommended by Health Canada as a result
of any of the following reasons:
- on evidence of conditions such as:
- unacceptable levels of disease-causing bacteria, viruses or
parasites in the water system anywhere from the source to the tap,
- unacceptable levels of turbidity
These conditions can occur for many reasons, including:
- inadequate filtration and /or disinfection during treatment,
- re-contamination during distribution
- precautionary measure issued to residents in a specific area when
there is concern that microbiological contamination may exist, for
example, local emergency repairs in the distribution system.
The number of Boil Water Advisories in First Nations communities across
Canada fluctuates frequently, as water quality is not static.
As of February 10th, 2006, there
were 76
drinking water advisories in First Nation communities across
Canada. A Boil Water Advisory is recommended by an Environmental Health
Officer and a Boil Water Order is issued by a Medical Officer under
the authority of a provincial Public
Health Act.
The reasons why many First Nations communities are on long-term boil
water advisories vary. The time required to perform upgrades or replacements
to a water facility in a community may lead to long-term Boil Water Advisories.
Many First Nations communities face the same challenges in providing
safe drinking water as do other small, remote or isolated communities,
such as difficulties in finding and retaining qualified water treatment
plant operators. Reasons for long-term Boil Water Advisories may also
include community decisions to lower or turn off the chlorinator because
of community concerns about the taste of chlorine in drinking water after
treatment.
Health Canada is working with First Nations leadership
to help communities improve their understanding of and responses to Boil
Water Advisories, and to help communities address any associated problems.
Following the recommendations in the recent report of the Commissioner
of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Government
of Canada is strengthening the First Nations Water Management
Strategy, including accelerating the development of a regulatory and
testing regime for all reserves, and plans to have certified water operators
available to support First Nation communities, while continuing to train
local operators.
It should be noted that Boil Water Advisories and Boil Water Orders
are issued in many non-First Nations communities across Canada, and are
most notable in small remote or isolated communities.
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