Abstract
Source water protection (SWP) is increasingly seen as effective in reducing the incidence and extent of drinking water crises, yet its facilitation requires certain measures. Canada has one of the most decentralized water governance systems in the world. We sought to understand the experience and impacts of drinking water crises at community and government levels in a decentralized context: the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador through cross-case analysis. We selected our three study communities through a database of media reports in 2014 followed by invitations to community leaders. We used descriptive and qualitative methods, specifically structured interview schedules with both closed- and open-ended questions, and interviewed four community leaders and three provincial government officials. We used NVivo in data analysis, especially in the identification of themes. While government officials defined water crises largely in terms of SWP, this was not the same for communities, whose concern was mainly water access, specifically water shortages. Thus, while the prioritizing of SWP can be useful, the current focus on SWP has the potential to overlook aspects of water security, particularly in some rural and Indigenous communities in Canada. If we envision water security as a ladder representing a hierarchy of needs, some communities are too far down on the ladder to operationalize SWP because their water problems are more extreme.
Highlights
Necessary for water security, source water protection (SWP) requires a comprehensive policy framework with directed resources that facilitate its planning and implementation
We focused on small communities, each with populations of less than 500, responding to the fact that small communities are more likely to experience drinking water-related challenges than medium and larger municipalities [12,13,14]
The government’s definition does not include many of the factors that lead to drinking water crises as understood by communities, such as limited or no water access due to aging water infrastructure, equipment breakdown, parts replacement, and technical difficulties
Summary
Necessary for water security, source water protection (SWP) requires a comprehensive policy framework with directed resources that facilitate its planning and implementation. SWP itself is a planning process that aims to provide safe drinking water by preventing the contamination of untreated water at the source [1]. SWP prevents contamination by mitigating land-use activities that might impact drinking water quality and quantity [4]. SWP is vital for drinking water safety [5] and is a process for which all communities should strive so that safe drinking water is provided. The SWP process might include mapping, risk assessment, public education, infrastructure improvements, permitting for development, and the banning of potentially damaging land-use activities in designated areas.
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