Grant: Alliance Grants
Dalhousie University
$75,000.00
Water Safety Planning in Partnership with the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority: A Strategy for Water Regulation_x000d_
FY 2020-21
Summary
Canada has struggled for decades with the challenge of providing safe drinking water and sanitation for all Canadians-particularly for its Indigenous communities. Accordingly, the Government of Canada has prioritized removing long-term boil water advisories (BWAs) in First Nations communities across Canada. Studies related to BWAs, particularly in First Nations have identified operational concerns as the leading cause of precautionary BWA issuance.
Water safety plans (WSPs) represent a proactive method for managing risk in water supply systems. This method of managing risk has been conducted successfully in over 90 countries, either at a jurisdictional level or through case studies, but has not been developed extensively in Canada or in First Nations Communities. The WSP approach examined in this study provides a tool focused on prioritization of risk mitigation procedures such as operational hazardous events, instead of focusing solely on water quality monitoring programs. BWAs lack the sophistication to communicate information about risk in a water system and the WSP is a method acknowledged globally for its capacity to provide safe water to systems. The impact this research will have on the water systems will be instrumental to the First Nations communities. In particular, First Nations water operators will have the resources to identify hazards and assess risks which then can be used to develop a detailed improvement plan to help make informed decisions on the water system. This iterative process will ensure that each water system continues to evolve as hazards are mitigated and risks are lessened, resulting in long-term, sustainable, clean drinking water.
This research program seeks to evaluate WSP sustainability and effectiveness and how WSPs can be
integrated into First Nations communities' water governance structure. This is a collaborative partnership
between the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat, the Atlantic First Nations Water
Authority, and Dalhousie University.
Program
Alliance Grants
Recipient
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
556367-2020
Name nom
Gagnon, Graham
Department département
Civil and Resource Engineering
Organization id
79
Institution établissement
Dalhousie University
Province en
Nova Scotia
Province fr
Nouvelle-Écosse
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2020
Competition year année de concours
2020
Award amount
75000
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
702
Area of application group en
Transportation systems and services
Area of application group fr
Services et systèmes de transport
Area of application en
Water
Area of application fr
Maritime
Research subject code
1000
Research subject group en
Civil engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie civil
Research subject en
Civil engineering
Research subject fr
Génie civil
Installment
inst:1 - 1
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
Water Safety Planning in Partnership with the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority: A Strategy for Water Regulation_x000d_
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
Canada has struggled for decades with the challenge of providing safe drinking water and sanitation for all Canadians-particularly for its Indigenous communities. Accordingly, the Government of Canada has prioritized removing long-term boil water advisories (BWAs) in First Nations communities across Canada. Studies related to BWAs, particularly in First Nations have identified operational concerns as the leading cause of precautionary BWA issuance.
Water safety plans (WSPs) represent a proactive method for managing risk in water supply systems. This method of managing risk has been conducted successfully in over 90 countries, either at a jurisdictional level or through case studies, but has not been developed extensively in Canada or in First Nations Communities. The WSP approach examined in this study provides a tool focused on prioritization of risk mitigation procedures such as operational hazardous events, instead of focusing solely on water quality monitoring programs. BWAs lack the sophistication to communicate information about risk in a water system and the WSP is a method acknowledged globally for its capacity to provide safe water to systems. The impact this research will have on the water systems will be instrumental to the First Nations communities. In particular, First Nations water operators will have the resources to identify hazards and assess risks which then can be used to develop a detailed improvement plan to help make informed decisions on the water system. This iterative process will ensure that each water system continues to evolve as hazards are mitigated and risks are lessened, resulting in long-term, sustainable, clean drinking water.
This research program seeks to evaluate WSP sustainability and effectiveness and how WSPs can be
integrated into First Nations communities' water governance structure. This is a collaborative partnership
between the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat, the Atlantic First Nations Water
Authority, and Dalhousie University.
