Placemat - Evaluation of the Water and Wastewater On-Reserve Program

2021

PDF Version (220 KB, 2 Pages)

 

Table of contents

Performance

 
 

Covid-19 Impacts

Challenges:

  • Increased costs due to schedule delays, some work is only possible in the summer season.
  • Backlog in routine water inspections and training.
  • Focus is on mitigating risks of COVID-19 outbreaks in communal spaces, training activities have been cancelled/postponed.

Positive Impacts:

  • Heightened awareness of the importance of clean water and public health Role of Environmental Public Health Officers (EPHOs) has been emphasized among community members.
 
 

Relevance

 
 

Roles & Relationships

 
 

Best Practices

 
 

Temporal/Financial Coverage:

 
 

Evaluation Assessed the following Domains:

 
 

Involved 2 ISC Sectors:

  1. Regional Operations: Infrastructure and Capacity Program – Water and Wastewater (W&WW), also referred to as the First Nations Water and Wastewater Enhancement Program (FNWWEP). ISC Regional Operations Sector. Average expenditures about $420M per year
  2. First Nations and Inuit Health Branch: Public health-related water and wastewater activities supported by the Environmental Public Health Division (EPHD). Average expenditures about $43M per year
 
 

Recommendations

Recommendation #1: Implement policy and procedures that result in the federal government providing 100% of the O&M costs for water and wastewater infrastructure in First Nations communities.

Action: ISC will allocate the new O&M investments and revise the departmental policies and procedures to reflect the increase to 100% funding of the O&M formula for water and wastewater in First Nations communities.

Dates: March 2021- Q4 2021-2022 (for allocation of first two years of new funding)

Recommendation #2: Increase the priority of wastewater infrastructure projects, which to-date have received disproportionally less funding than drinking water projects but pose potential risk to many communities.

Action: ISC regional Operations will prioritize projects at the regional level, which will ensure more critical wastewater projects are funded. The national prioritization process for W&WW will at the same time be refocused to better allow for those regional priorities including wastewater projects posing a risk to human health or the environment, shifting away from centralized decision making which focused predominately on LT-DWAs.

Dates: March 2021 - Q4 2022-2023

Recommendation #3: Where applicable, support regions to provide 5-year rather than 1-year funding agreements for the Circuit Rider Training Program (CRTP) & where demand exists among First Nation communities, to expand the model to include other forms of infrastructure.

Action: ISC will develop a plan to put in place 5-year funding agreements for the remaining interested regions who have in place 1-year funding agreements for CRTP.

Dates: January 2021-Q2 2022-2023

Action: Department is exploring options for the expansion of the CRTP to schools & other public community infrastructure in FN communities. New Program will be subject to funding approval.

Dates: March 2021 -TBC

Recommendation #4: Develop policies or guidelines that incorporate climate change adaptation & mitigation into infrastructure design and construction as well as source water protection.

Action: ISC will work with partners and First Nations to identify actions for climate change adaption & mitigation measures to be integrated into Water & Waste Water infrastructure design and construction.

Dates: March 2021-Q4 2022-2023

Action: As part of the on-going policy and protocol review, ISC will incorporate climate change adaptation and mitigation considerations into its water and wastewater policies where relevant.

Dates: July 2020 - Q4 2021-2022

Action: ISC will work with First Nation partners to develop an analysis or guidance on how climate change adaptation and mitigation measures may be considered in the Terms of Reference for infrastructure design, thereby requiring their consultants to include these considerations in the design and construction of infrastructure.

Dates: March 2021 - Q4 2021-2022

Recommendation #5: Determine the impact on First Nations communities by program area as a result of current EPHO staffing levels and priorities.

Action: Produce a synthesis report that will use existing and future reports and documentation to evaluate the impact of the current EPHO numbers on the ability of the Program to meet the National EPHP Framework.

Dates: March 2021-end of Q3 2022-2023

Action: Program will undertake an analysis of EPHO gaps on food safety/food facilities and potential risks to health of community members and identify potential mitigation measures.

Dates: March 2021 - Q2 2021-2022

 
 

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