Water Quality Monitoring in Canadian Aboriginal Communities

Abstract

There are estimated to be 1,333,700 aboriginal people in Canada, as of 1997. Health and social indicators illustrate a significant gap between aboriginal people and the general Canadian population. Health Canada provides funding to communities in order that they may hire Community Health Representatives (CHRs). The CHR is to collect water samples, and then ship them to laboratories for microbiological analysis. In the majority of communities, CHRs are extremely overburdened with numerous responsibilities. In order to ensure the safety of drinking water in aboriginal communities, Health Canada, in partnership with the Split Lake Cree First Nation aboriginal community, developed a bacteriological water quality monitoring training program. First Nation communities have various challenges to overcome in regard to ensuring a safe water supply for residents. Even communities with good water treatment systems in place experience problems. For example, a poorly trained operator may add too much chlorine to the system, resulting in an unacceptable taste.