Water Security in Canada: Responsibilities of the federal government

The report examines the division of water management responsibilities between Canada's federal and provincial governments, highlighting significant gaps in monitoring, pollution control, and drinking water safety. It argues that the federal government should leverage its 'peace, order and good government' (POGG) power to provide national leadership, particularly in the face of climate change and the need for consistent water quality standards.

• Canada's water security is compromised by a lack of national leadership and a reliance on a 'myth' of boundless water abundance, despite the country possessing only 6.5 per cent of the world's renewable fresh water.
• Federal surface water monitoring is insufficient, with a 2010 audit finding that the government failed to monitor water quality on most federal lands and lacked a risk-based approach to station placement.
• There is a critical information gap regarding groundwater, with only 1,500 to 2,000 monitoring wells in Canada compared to 42,000 in the U.S., and a failure to meet a 2010 deadline for mapping all major aquifers.
• Drinking water quality on First Nations reserves is significantly lower than in non-reserve communities, with a 2005 report stating three-quarters of these communities face a 'significant risk' to water safety.
• The federal government has the authority to protect fish habitats and instream flows through the Fisheries Act, but rarely intervenes in hydroelectric flow regulation due to jurisdictional tensions with provinces.
• Canadian water usage is among the highest in the world, averaging 329 litres per capita per day, driven by low pricing structures that do not encourage conservation.
• Bulk water exports remain a vulnerability due to legal uncertainties and loopholes in existing legislation, with the report suggesting that NAFTA allows for bans based on ecosystem protection.
• The 'peace, order and good government' (POGG) power provides a constitutional basis for the federal government to intervene in water security as a matter of national importance, even in areas of provincial authority.
• Climate change is expected to exacerbate water insecurity through increased frequency of droughts and floods, affecting aquatic ecosystems, human health, and agricultural production.

APA

Zubrycki, K., Roy, D., Venema, H. D., & Brooks, D. (2011). Water Security in Canada: Responsibilities of the federal government. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/water_security_canada.pdf

Chicago

Zubrycki, Karla, Dimple Roy, Henry David Venema, and David Brooks. Water Security in Canada: Responsibilities of the federal government. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2011. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/water_security_canada.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zubrycki |first1=Karla |last2=Roy |first2=Dimple |last3=Venema |first3=Henry David |last4=Brooks |first4=David |title=Water Security in Canada: Responsibilities of the federal government |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/water_security_canada.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zubrycki2011water, author = {Zubrycki, Karla and Roy, Dimple and Venema, Henry David and Brooks, David}, title = {{Water Security in Canada: Responsibilities of the federal government}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/water_security_canada.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }