The capacity gap: Understanding impediments to sustainable drinking water systems in rural Newfoundland and Labrador

Minnes, Sarah; Vodden, Kelly

doi:10.1080/07011784.2016.1256232

Cited by 26 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Ultimately, institutional measures such as legislation and governance structures need to be matched with fiscal frameworks to support these structures. Finding efficiencies in regional collaborations could offer promise for rural municipalities [11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unfortunately, capacity at the local level is particularly limited in rural communities, making places like Walkerton, Ontario (with a population of 4800 people at the time of the outbreak in 2000) [2] a prime place for drinking water safety vulnerabilities. SWP capacity related limitations in rural areas include (but are not limited to): lack of technical expertise and staff; small revenue bases; accessibility difficulties; and large geographies [5,11,21,26]. For example, Canada-wide studies suggest that insufficient financial capacity to hire expert consultants, technical expertise and other human capital, can be a barrier to SWP in small to medium water system operations [7] (p. 388).…”

Section: Source Water Protection and Capacitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The United States Environmental Protection Agency found that remediation of groundwater supplies after a contamination has already taken place can be 30-40 times more costly than preventative SWP measures, and the cost can be up to 700 times greater in rural areas [10]. However, SWP requires a certain amount of capacity that is often limited in rural communities with small populations, limited tax bases, and few (if any) technical staff [11,12]. This paper outlines findings from research exploring the implications for rural municipalities of Ontario's SWP legislation, policies and programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ontario’s Clean Water Act and Capacity Building: Implications for Serviced Rural Municipalities

Minnes¹

2017

Water

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This research explores Ontario's Clean Water Act (S. O. 2006, c. 22) and its contribution to capacity building for rural municipalities impacted by source protection plans created under the Act. Source water protection (SWP) under the Clean Water Act (S. O. 2006, c. 22) is explored drawing from a capacity framework. A nested case study approach has been employed to allow for in depth exploration of the experience within the Cataraqui Source Protection Area and the North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Area, where key informant interviews were conducted. Findings are outlined looking at four elements of capacity for SWP: institutional, financial, social, and technical/human. It was found that the process was successful for building capacity in the serviced rural municipalities involved, but did not provide any meaningful protection for areas reliant on private drinking water systems such as wells. Several improvements to the legislated process were suggested including greater flexibility for local circumstance and better methods for engagement of First Nations and the general public. It is unknown if this capacity will be sustained as the program continues and provincial funding is reduced. Reduced funding will particularly impact rural communities that lack the internal human and financial capacity to implement SWP policies without the assistance of provincial funding and conservation authority staff (who also rely on provincial/municipal funding sources). Ultimately, it was found that SWP in rural areas requires enforceable mandatory legislation; sustainable provincial funding and municipal fiscal frameworks to support ongoing SWP planning and implementation; technical aid at the regional level; and support and commitment to SWP at the local level (e.g., municipalities, local health units, landowners, residents and watershed users).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Source Water Protection and Capacitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ontario’s Clean Water Act and Capacity Building: Implications for Serviced Rural Municipalities

Minnes¹

2017

Water

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“…SWP also contributes to the sustainability of drinking water systems and its practice can be used to build local capacity in solving water challenges [13]. One primary benefit of practicing SWP is that it is significantly less costly to invest in preventative SWP measures than it is to address issues after contamination of a water supply has taken place [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the many benefits of SWP, such as sustainable drinking water systems management and enriching drinking water quality and quantity [5], small and rural communities encounter various barriers and limitations related to the supply of safe drinking water because practicing SWP entails a great deal of technical, institutional, financial and social capacity that many small and rural communities lack [13,18,19]. Deficient local capacity results in a reduced number of SWP initiatives and imprudent decisions from local governments in protecting drinking water sources, including investing in costly technologies as an alternative [20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Source Water Protection in Rural Newfoundland and Labrador: Limitations and Promising Actions

Eledi

Minnes

Vodden

2017

Water

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Abstract:The purpose of this paper is to exemplify through recent research in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) the extent of the current limitations for source water protection and potential opportunities for improvement in the province, particularly for rural communities. The findings of this paper draw from the results of four related studies led by the co-authors. These four studies took place in NL between 2012 and 2016, and derived data through a mixed-method approach using literature reviews, key informant interviews, surveys, and consultations. The article provides an overview of the state of source water protection in NL and the challenges faced, with case examples to illustrate key points. Findings indicate there is currently a source water protection gap in NL limiting local governments in implementing their source water protection obligations under provincial policy and regulations. This implementation gap has been attributed to a lack of capacity for watershed monitoring, a lack of awareness of the need for source water protection and of municipal responsibilities, conflicts over multi-use watersheds and a lack of watershed planning and management. Greater education and collaboration in source water protection efforts amongst all watershed users, watershed groups, local governments and the provincial government could offer promise to fill this gap.

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Exploring relevance, public perceptions, and business models for establishment of private well water quality monitoring service

Thomson

Rahman

Cooper

et al. 2019

Health Planning & Management

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Summary Existing public policies mostly focus on public water systems, leaving aside the quality issues regarding private wells in small and rural locations. Establishment of affordable and accessible water quality monitoring services may ensure acceptable levels of all the parameters. This paper aims to explore (a) health risk because of chemical contaminants of private wells, (b) population perspective on well water quality and monitoring, and (c) to create a business model of a centralized water quality monitoring service. The results show potential problems with toxic levels of arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium. About 5% of the province's population is at risk for potential exposure to contaminated private well water. The survey reinforces that the successful implementation of water testing laboratories for private wells is a shared responsibility between well owners and the government organizations, and almost three‐fourths respondents were willing to share the cost up to certain limit. A business model including financial projections for a centralized water testing laboratory is presented. Drinking of unmonitored private well water is putting population health at risk. Either strong regulation with mandatory water testing or voluntary water testing with adequate government subsidy can ensure sustainable function of a centralized water testing laboratory.

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The capacity gap: Understanding impediments to sustainable drinking water systems in rural Newfoundland and Labrador

Cited by 26 publications

References 29 publications

Ontario’s Clean Water Act and Capacity Building: Implications for Serviced Rural Municipalities

Ontario’s Clean Water Act and Capacity Building: Implications for Serviced Rural Municipalities

Source Water Protection in Rural Newfoundland and Labrador: Limitations and Promising Actions

Exploring relevance, public perceptions, and business models for establishment of private well water quality monitoring service

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