Source water protection programs and Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States: A scoping review

Marshall, Rachael; Levison, Jana; McBean, Edward A.; Brown, Elizabeth; Harper, Sherilee L.

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.04.070

Cited by 16 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In the source water protection plan for the Saugeen, Grey Sauble, and Northern Bruce Peninsula areas, it is recommended that the Ontario Building Code "require that advanced septic systems be required for new installations in vulnerable areas where an on-site sewage system is or would be a significant drinking water threat" [88] (pp. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. It is recommended here that the definition of "drinking water threat" be extended beyond the areas that impact municipal drinking water sources to include areas of rapid recharge that may impact the drinking water sources of rural and First Nation residents, such as those areas outlined by Hamilton et al [89].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Source water protection is a complex process that must consider a number of sociopolitical and technical factors, including jurisdictional considerations, flow and transport of water and contaminants in the natural environment, and built infrastructure [1]. While many advances have been made towards protecting drinking water sources around the world in recent years [2][3][4][5][6][7], issues persist in many environments, including vulnerable hydrogeology, aging or inappropriate infrastructure, and where socio-economic and other factors have made it difficult to implement adequate source water protection measures, as is the case in many rural and Indigenous communities [3,5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Septic System Impacts on Source Water: Two Novel Field Tracer Experiments in Fractured Sedimentary Bedrock

et al. 2022

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Septic systems are a common contributor of contaminants to groundwater that have implications for source water protection, particularly in fractured sedimentary bedrock environments. Two 24-h tracer experiments were performed that applied (1) the dye Lissamine Flavine FF and (2) three artificial sweeteners (acesulfame, sucralose, and cyclamate) in the leaching bed to examine solute transport from a single-family septic bed to a multilevel monitoring well installed in fractured sedimentary bedrock on a First Nation reserve in Southern Ontario, Canada. Tracer was first observed 3 h and 20 min after deployment, and breakthrough curves showed that multiple pathways likely exist between the septic bed and the monitoring well. Cyclamate concentrations were more elevated than expected compared to other studies that examined cyclamate’s attenuation in the laboratory and in porous media aquifers. Solute transport through the septic bed was analyzed with the numerical modeling software Hydrus 1D, which indicated that the septic bed may be too thin, located directly on bedrock, underlain by fractured soils, or bypassed through a short-circuit. The rapid transport of septic leachate to fractured sedimentary aquifers is problematic for First Nation and rural communities. More stringent regulations are needed for the design and use of septic systems in these environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Septic System Impacts on Source Water: Two Novel Field Tracer Experiments in Fractured Sedimentary Bedrock

et al. 2022

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“…Several challenges associated with SWP for First Nations in Ontario that were discussed by community members and practitioners echoed the difficulties identified by others. These included jurisdictional issues and the fragmented water governance system in Canada [6,10,31,32,63,65] and a lack of funding both to engage in SWP [8,18,24,29,31,32], and importantly, to be able to implement SWP actions once the planning process is complete [5]. More funding is needed for First Nations to be able to meaningfully engage in SWP planning and implementation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As of 15 February 2020, 61 Indigenous communities remained under long-term drinking water advisories despite ongoing efforts by the federal government to eradicate them [7]. While it has been established that watershed-based source water protection (SWP) programs are integral to the provision of safe drinking water [4,6], the involvement of Indigenous populations in watershed-scale SWP programs in Canada and elsewhere is extremely limited [8]. In Ontario, the SWP options for First Nations include: (1) developing an on-reserve (i.e., not watershed-based) SWP plan following guidelines from the federal department of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) [9], an option for which no federal funding is available; (2) developing an Many authors have reported that research has played a critical role in the marginalization, oppression, and colonization of Indigenous societies worldwide [30,32,[37][38][39][40].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moving towards Effective First Nations’ Source Water Protection: Barriers, Opportunities, and a Framework

Marshall

Desjardine

Levison

et al. 2020

Water

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It is well known that watershed-based source water protection programs are integral to the provision of clean drinking water. However, the involvement of Indigenous communities in these programs is very limited in Canada, which has contributed to the vulnerability of Indigenous source waters to contamination. Through a partnership with an Anishinaabe community, this research aimed to identify challenges and opportunities for communities and practitioners to improve the protection of Indigenous source waters in the province of Ontario. The methodology followed the Indigenous research principles of relationship, respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility. Interviews and a youth focus group were conducted with Indigenous community members and practitioners from industry, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and government. Analysis was conducted using an iterative process to develop codes and themes in the qualitative data analysis software NVivo. Results indicated that issues with scale, jurisdiction, the concept of source water protection, representation, funding, and capacity impact efforts to protect Indigenous source waters. Hopeful recent developments and upcoming opportunities were identified, and a water protection framework for First Nation communities in Ontario was developed in partnership with an Anishinaabe water protection committee. Recommendations are provided to multiple sectors for moving forward respectfully, and effectively, towards the protection of Indigenous waters.

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“…At least four of the forested watersheds in our data are a source of drinking water for First Nations, Inuit, or Metis communities, with a SEI score ranging from 5 to 50. Chronic water insecurity of First Nations, Inuit, or Metis communities of Canada, illustrated by the plethora of long-term boil-water advisories, has been a source of tension for decades [96,97]. These difficulties to access clean drinking-water expose Indigenous people to greater water-related health issues, on top of management difficulties inherent to small distribution systems, as noted earlier [98].…”

Section: Accounting For Wildfires In the Future Of Canada's Water Secmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Regional-Scale Index for Assessing the Exposure of Drinking-Water Sources to Wildfires

Robinne

Bladon

Silins

et al. 2019

Forests

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Recent human-interface wildfires around the world have raised concerns regarding the reliability of freshwater supply flowing from severely burned watersheds. Degraded source water quality can often be expected after severe wildfire and can pose challenges to drinking water facilities by straining treatment response capacities, increasing operating costs, and jeopardizing their ability to supply consumers. Identifying source watersheds that are dangerously exposed to post-wildfire hydrologic changes is important for protecting community drinking-water supplies from contamination risks that may lead to service disruptions. This study presents a spatial index of watershed exposure to wildfires in the province of Alberta, Canada, where growing water demands coupled with increasing fire activity threaten municipal drinking-water supplies. Using a multi-criteria analysis design, we integrated information regarding provincial forest cover, fire danger, source water volume, source-water origin (i.e., forested/un-forested), and population served. We found that (1) >2/3 of the population of the province relies on drinking-water supplies originating in forested watersheds, (2) forest cover is the most important variable controlling final exposure scores, and (3) watersheds supplying small drinking water treatment plants are particularly exposed, especially in central Alberta. The index can help regional authorities prioritize the allocation of risk management resources to mitigate adverse impacts from wildfire. The flexible design of this tool readily allows its deployment at larger national and continental scales to inform broader water security frameworks.

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Source water protection programs and Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States: A scoping review

Cited by 16 publications

References 49 publications

Septic System Impacts on Source Water: Two Novel Field Tracer Experiments in Fractured Sedimentary Bedrock

Septic System Impacts on Source Water: Two Novel Field Tracer Experiments in Fractured Sedimentary Bedrock

Moving towards Effective First Nations’ Source Water Protection: Barriers, Opportunities, and a Framework

A Regional-Scale Index for Assessing the Exposure of Drinking-Water Sources to Wildfires

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