The number of long-term boil water advisories on First Nations has jumped 32% over the past year, with federal officials unable to explain the increase despite a multi-billion dollar effort to fix the issue.Blacklocks Reporter says according to a recent report from Indigenous Services Canada submitted to the Senate national finance committee, there were 37 long-term drinking water advisories in 35 First Nations as of June 23. That’s up from 28 advisories reported in 2024, despite a cabinet pledge to eliminate them all by March 31, 2021, at a projected cost of $3.6 billion.“Ultimately the decision to put in place a particular solution is made by First Nations leadership as they are the managers and operators of their water and wastewater infrastructure,” the department stated. .It noted that some advisories remain in place even after infrastructure is completed if the community lacks trained water system operators.A 2021 departmental audit warned that the original funding commitment was not enough to fix the problem. It found only 74% of First Nations water managers and 66% of sewer managers were properly trained and described many systems as medium to high risk for failure. The report concluded that “insufficient operation and maintenance funding poses immediate risks to infrastructure and undermines its longevity.”.The department oversees 725 water plants and 450 sewage systems on First Nations, with Parliament covering 80% of the costs. However, internal reviews noted the government “falsely supposed that communities possess available funds for the remaining 20%,” calling the funding model inadequate.Surveys conducted this year found many First Nations residents still rely on bottled water for drinking and cooking, with 1 in 5 respondents saying their tap water is less safe than it was five years ago.
