Access to safe drinking water is something most Canadians expect as a basic part of everyday life. Yet in some First Nations communities on reserve, residents continue to face drinking water advisories that can last for months or even years.
The situation has improved significantly since 2015, when the federal government committed to eliminating all long-term drinking water advisories affecting First Nations communities on reserve. Hundreds of advisories have since been lifted. But the fact that dozens remain — and that some have lasted for a decade or longer — shows that the underlying problem has not been fully resolved.
How serious is the problem?
As of June 23, 2026, there were 38 active long-term drinking water advisories affecting 36 First Nations communities, according to Indigenous Services Canada. At the same time, 156 long-term advisories had been lifted since November 2015 with federal support.
Those figures represent substantial progress from the situation a decade ago. However, the remaining advisories are particularly significant because some have persisted for many years.
The Auditor General of Canada reported that as of April 1, 2025, 35 long-term drinking water advisories remained. Nine of those advisories had been in place for at least 10 years. The Auditor General concluded that Indigenous Services Canada had made unsatisfactory progress on several recommendations intended to improve access to safe drinking water.
The problem is therefore no longer simply about whether Canada has lifted large numbers of advisories. It is also about whether the systems replacing them are reliable enough to prevent the same problems from returning.
What does a drinking water advisory mean?
A drinking water advisory is issued when there is a concern about the safety of a water supply. It does not necessarily mean that every use of the water is prohibited.
Depending on the circumstances, an advisory can tell residents to boil water before drinking it, avoid consuming the water altogether, or avoid using it for particular purposes. Advisories can affect an entire community or only certain buildings or parts of a water system.
They can be issued because of problems such as contamination, equipment failures, treatment-system problems, emergency repairs or difficulties maintaining the system safely. First Nations communities issue drinking water advisories in their communities, while Indigenous Services Canada provides funding, technical support and other assistance.
That distinction matters because referring to every advisory simply as a “boil-water advisory” can give an incomplete picture of the situation.
Why do some advisories last so long?
There is no single explanation for the persistence of drinking water problems in First Nations communities.
Geography can make construction, repairs and regular maintenance considerably more difficult and expensive, particularly in remote communities. Water systems can also require specialized operators, regular testing, replacement parts and ongoing funding long after a treatment facility has been built.
Infrastructure itself is only one part of the problem. A new treatment plant does not automatically guarantee a reliable water supply if there are insufficient resources for maintenance, operator training, monitoring or future upgrades.
The Auditor General’s findings highlight another issue: the gap between identifying a long-term solution and actually implementing it.
Of the nine long-term advisories that had been in place for at least a decade as of April 1, 2025, eight did not have a target date for implementing the identified long-term solution.
That is one reason the crisis cannot be measured only by how much money has been spent or how many projects have been announced. The ultimate test is whether residents have dependable access to safe water year after year.
Advisories can also return
Another concern is that lifting an advisory does not necessarily guarantee that the underlying problem will never reappear.
The Auditor General identified nine recurring long-term drinking water advisories between November 2020 and April 2025. In one example, an advisory remained in place for roughly 17 years before being lifted in 2022. A new long-term advisory was subsequently issued on the same water system in 2024 and remained active as of April 2025.
This illustrates why preventing future advisories is just as important as eliminating existing ones.
A sustainable solution requires more than completing a construction project. Water systems need qualified operators, regular maintenance, reliable monitoring and funding that accounts for their long-term operating costs.
How much progress has been made?
It would be inaccurate to suggest that governments have made no progress.
Since November 2015, First Nations communities have lifted 156 long-term drinking water advisories with support from Indigenous Services Canada. The federal government has also invested billions of dollars in water and wastewater infrastructure, repairs, upgrades and operator training.
Indigenous Services Canada has reported that, based on 2023–24 annual performance inspections, 97.5% of public water systems on reserve produced treated water meeting the prescribed bacteriological standards in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.
That figure is important context, but it should not be interpreted as meaning that 97% of Indigenous people have safe water or that only 3% of communities have problems. It measures public water systems against applicable drinking water standards and is different from the count of long-term advisories.
The two statistics can therefore coexist: most public systems can meet applicable standards while a smaller number of communities continue to experience serious, persistent problems.
What is the federal government doing now?
The federal government has continued to fund infrastructure projects while also moving toward changes to the legal framework surrounding drinking water on First Nation lands.
In June 2026, the government introduced Bill C-37, the proposed First Nations Clean Water Act. The legislation is intended to establish legally enforceable protections for safe drinking water, create minimum standards, support First Nations jurisdiction over water and provide mechanisms for source-water protection. It also proposes the creation of a First Nations-led water commission.
The government also announced an additional $4.6 billion in targeted funding for water and wastewater infrastructure in First Nations communities, on top of more than $9.4 billion it says has been committed since 2015.
Whether these measures produce lasting improvements will depend heavily on implementation.
Why government priorities remain under scrutiny
The phrase “misaligned government priorities” should not be interpreted to mean that no government funding or attention has been directed toward the problem. The record shows the opposite: substantial investments have been made and 156 long-term drinking water advisories have been lifted.
The more difficult question is whether government policy and funding have been sufficiently aligned with the long-term requirements of individual communities.
The Auditor General’s findings raise legitimate concerns in that area. When advisories remain in place for a decade or more, when identified solutions lack target dates, or when advisories return after being lifted, it suggests that completing individual projects is not enough.
Long-term success requires predictable funding, effective maintenance, trained operators, reliable monitoring and solutions designed around the conditions of each community.
What would a lasting solution look like?
A lasting approach would focus on the entire life cycle of a water system rather than treating each advisory as a separate infrastructure problem.
That means:
- Building or upgrading treatment systems where necessary
- Providing stable funding for operations and maintenance
- Recruiting and training qualified local water operators
- Regularly testing and monitoring water quality
- Planning for equipment replacement before systems fail
- Improving protection of drinking-water sources
- Establishing clear timelines for unresolved advisories
- Giving First Nations greater control over decisions affecting their water systems
- Tracking whether improvements continue to work years after an advisory is lifted
Local involvement is particularly important. First Nations communities manage their own water systems and make local decisions, while federal programs provide funding and technical support. A sustainable system therefore requires meaningful partnership rather than simply delivering infrastructure from outside the community.
The bigger picture
Canada has made real progress on the drinking water crisis in First Nations communities since 2015. The number of long-term advisories has fallen substantially, major infrastructure projects have been completed, and new investments and legislation are now being pursued.
But progress should not be confused with resolution.
Dozens of long-term advisories remain, some communities have experienced problems lasting more than a decade, and the Auditor General has identified weaknesses in the federal government’s progress toward preventing recurring problems.
The central challenge now is not simply to lift the remaining advisories. It is to make sure that the solutions are reliable, properly maintained and capable of providing safe drinking water for generations.
For the communities still affected, that is ultimately what matters most: not whether another announcement is made or another project is funded, but whether residents can turn on the tap and trust the water coming out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many long-term drinking water advisories remain?
As of June 23, 2026, there were 38 active long-term drinking water advisories affecting 36 First Nations communities, according to Indigenous Services Canada.
Are all Indigenous communities in Canada affected by unsafe drinking water?
No. The figures discussed in this article specifically concern First Nations public water systems on reserve. They should not be interpreted as representing every Indigenous community, including Inuit and Métis communities.
Why can an advisory last for years?
Long-term solutions can require major infrastructure projects, engineering work, environmental assessments, funding, construction, operator training and ongoing maintenance. Remote locations can make each stage more difficult and expensive.
Has the situation improved since 2015?
Yes. First Nations communities have lifted 156 long-term drinking water advisories with federal support since November 2015. However, 38 remained active as of June 23, 2026.
Can a drinking water advisory return after being lifted?
Yes. The Auditor General identified nine recurring long-term drinking water advisories between November 2020 and April 2025, demonstrating why long-term maintenance and prevention are critical.
What is Bill C-37?
Bill C-37 is proposed federal legislation known as the First Nations Clean Water Act. It is intended to establish legally enforceable protections for safe drinking water on First Nation lands and support First Nations jurisdiction and source-water protection.
SOURCES: Indigenous Services Canada (long-term drinking water advisory counts as of June 23, 2026; 2023–24 public water system performance inspections); Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Follow-up on Programs for First Nations (April 1, 2025 snapshot); Government of Canada, Bill C-37, First Nations Clean Water Act.
