ACCESSIBILITY, QUALITY AND SAFETY OF LIARD FIRST NATION’S DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

Abstract

Safe drinking water has a major influence on health. Federal and provincial governments have provided programs and funding to help First Nations communities make drinking water safe, but First Nations communities still experience more water-related health problems than non-First Nations groups in Canada. Liard First Nation (LFN) is a community located in Watson Lake, Yukon Territory. LFN has an established public drinking water system with effective regulations, regular water sampling and certified operators for their drinking water treatment plant and water truck delivery. This project collected information on the Liard First Nation’s (LFN) access to and opinions about drinking water, as well as took steps to measure the drinking water safety and sustainability in Watson Lake, in order to help community leaders make decisions about drinking water supply, management and policy.