Photo Credit: Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa
From DrydenNow, article written by Ryan Forbes, December 6th, 2021:
A new report shows that the federal government needs to invest more into ending long-term boil water advisories for First Nation communities across the country.
The new report – Clean Water for First Nations: Is the Government Spending Enough? – was created by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, and builds off of their 2017 report after a request from Senator Renee Dupuis to examine budget requirements for First Nations water and wastewater systems.
Overall, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has found that the government’s planned spending until 2025-2026 is enough to build the infrastructure needed to end long-term boil water advisories in all First Nation communities in Canada, but the spending isn’t enough to operate or maintain those systems.
The report shows that planned spending from the government will only cover just two-thirds of the funding needed, suggesting an average annual funding gap of $138 million to operate and maintain water and wastewater systems.