National Assessment of First Nations Water and Wastewater Systems - Manitoba Regional Roll-Up Report

1.0 Introduction

The Government of Canada is committed to providing safe, clean drinking water in all First Nations communities, and to ensuring that wastewater services in all First Nations communities meet acceptable effluent quality standards. As part of this commitment, the Government announced the First Nations Water and Wastewater Action Plan (FNWWAP). The plan funds the construction and renovation of water and wastewater facilities, operator training, and public health activities related to water and wastewater on reserves. It also provided for a national, independent assessment – The National Assessment of First Nations Water and Wastewater Systems – which will inform the Government's future, long-term investment strategy. This assessment was also recommended by the Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples.

The purpose of the National Assessment is to define the current deficiencies and the operational needs of water and wastewater systems, identify the long-term water and wastewater needs of each community and recommend sustainable, long-term infrastructure development strategies.

The objectives of the National Assessment are to:

• Identify which upgrades will be required for existing public systems to meet INAC's Level of Service Standards; INAC's Protocol for Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities; INAC's Protocol for Wastewater Treatment and Disposal in First Nations Communities; and applicable provincial regulations, codes, and standards
• Complete the Annual Inspection, Risk Assessment and Asset Condition Reporting Systems (ACRS) assessment for water and wastewater assets
• Conduct an overall community serviceability assessment of private, on-site communal and/or central systems
• Prepare Class "D" cost estimates for each of the communities visited. Class "D" estimates are preliminary, and are based on available site information. They indicate the approximate magnitude of the cost of the recommended actions, and they may be used to develop long-term capital plans. In addition, these estimates may be used in preliminary discussions of proposed capital projects.

This assessment involved collecting background data and information about each community, undertaking a site visit, and preparing individual community reports for each participating First Nation. Neegan Burnside Ltd. and its sub-consultants conducted an assessment for each of the eight regions. This report summarizes the findings for the Manitoba region.

1.2 Reporting

Individual community reports were prepared for each First Nation. In the Manitoba region, there was 100% participation from the 62 First Nations. Figure 1.1 indicates the location of each First Nation visited as a part of this study.

The reports include an assessment of existing communal and individual systems, identification of required upgrades to meet departmental, federal and provincial protocols and guidelines, and an assessment of existing servicing of the community along with projections of population and water and wastewater flows for future servicing for the 10 year period. Each report includes the projected costs for the recommendations to meet departmental protocol, federal and provincial guidelines, and an evaluation of servicing alternatives along with life cycle costing for each feasible alternative.

An annual water inspection, risk evaluation and ACRS inspection was completed for each system and are included in the Appendices of each report.

Description of figure 1.1 – Manitoba First Nations Visited

This image is a map of the location of each First Nation community that Neegan Burnside Ltd.visited in Manitoba as part of the National Assessment of Water and Wastewater in First Nations Communities. Each site visit is marked by a green dot.

2.0 Regional Overview

The Manitoba region includes 62 First Nations. There are 74 water systems (69 First Nation systems and 5 Municipal Type Agreements) and 61 wastewater systems (57 First Nation systems and 4 Municipal Type Agreements).

A water or wastewater system considered a First Nation system, consists of INAC-funded assets, and serves five or more residences or community buildings. A Municipal Type Agreement (MTA), on the other hand, is when First Nations are supplied with treated water from or send their wastewater to a nearby municipality or neighbouring First Nation or corporate entity as outlined in a formal agreement between the two parties.

The First Nation community population ranges from 43 to 5,869 people, and household sizes range from 2.0 to 8.8 people per unit (ppu). The total number of homes is 15,661, and the average household size is 5.4 ppu.

3.0 Preliminary Results and Trends

3.1 Per Capita Consumption and Plant Capacity

Historical flow records were not available for two of the five First Nations serviced by a Municipal Type Agreement, or for 23 of the First Nations with communal water systems. For the remaining 49 communal water systems, the average per capita demand ranges from 10 L/p/d to 420 L/p/d, with an average per capita demand of approximately 176 L/p/d.

For the systems without flow data, an average per capita flow rate ranging from 225 L/p/d to 275 L/p/d for piped servicing and 90 L/p/d for truck haul was used to evaluate the water systems. The distribution of per capita flow is outlined in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1 - Range of Per Capita Water Usage Rates

	No. of systems 2009
Less than 250 L/c/d	38
250 L/c/d to 375 L/c/d	34
Greater than 375 L/c/d	2

Historical flow data for wastewater was not available for most of the wastewater systems. Therefore, to evaluate the ability of the existing infrastructure to meet the current and projected needs, an average daily flow was calculated based on the actual or assumed per capita water consumption, plus an infiltration allowance of 90 L/c/d for piped servicing.

The following figure provides a summary of the plant capacity for the First Nation water and wastewater systems:

• over capacity: the existing system is unable to meet the current needs
• at capacity: the existing system is able to meet the current needs
• available capacity: the existing system has sufficient capacity to meet more than the current needs
• not enough data: insufficient data was available to determine the actual system capacity.

Description of figure 3.1 – Water and Wastewater Treatment Capacities

This graph illustrates the treatment capacities of water and wastewater systems for First Nations communities in Manitoba.

Water System Treatment Capacities

• 10 water systems (13.5 percent of the total number of water systems) are operating over their estimated capacities.
• 1 water system (1.35 percent of the total number of water systems) is operating at its estimated capacity.
• 61 water systems (82.43 percent of the total number of water systems) have available capacity.
• There is not enough data to assess the capacities of 2 of the water systems (2.70 percent of the total number of systems).

Wastewater System Treatment Capacities

• 11 wastewater systems (18 percent of the total number of wastewater systems) are operating over their estimated capacities.
• 1 wastewater system (1.6 percent of the total number of wastewater systems) is operating at its estimated capacity.
• 35 wastewater systems (57 percent of the total number of systems) have available capacity.
• There is not enough data to asssess the capacities of 14 of the wastewater systems (22.95 percent of the total number of wastewater systems).

The data collected shows that 11 water systems and 12 wastewater systems are operating at or beyond their estimated capacities. For the plants identified as being over capacity, the per capita demand is within typical values for the region, according to available records.

3.2 Distribution and Collection

The household size for the 62 First Nations ranges from 2.0 to 8.8 people per unit (ppu), with an average of 5.4 ppu. The total number of piped connections in the region is 7,930 for water and 7,075 for wastewater. The average length per connection of watermain is 56 m and average length per connection of sewermain in the region is 33 m.

In some cases the data provided for watermains includes dedicated transmission main lengths with no service connections and non-distribution mains (i.e. intake pipes, raw water pipes). As a result, the average length per connection is inflated, particularly for smaller communities where the additional pipe length is spread over a smaller number of connections.

The table below indicates the number of water and wastewater systems that have pipe lengths above and below 30 m/connection. It should be noted that this information was not available for all of the systems.

Table 3.2 - Average Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection Pipe Lengths

	Watermain	Sewer
Average m/connection	56	33
No. of systems with pipe lengths above 30 m/connection	50	27
No. of systems with pipe lengths below 30 m/connection	9	24

Description of figure 3.2 – Water Distribution: Average Pipe Length per Connection

This scatterplot graph illustrates the relationship between the length per connection of water distribution pipes and the population size of the community that is being serviced for First Nations communities in Manitoba.

For the vast majority of water systems, the average length per connection is above 30 meters per connection. The average length per connection is 56 meters. The majority of the communities being serviced have a population of less than 2000 people.

Description of figure 3.3 – Wastewater Collection: Average Pipe Length per Connection

This scatterplot graph illustrates the relationship between the length per connection of wastewater collection pipes and the population size of the community that is being serviced for First Nations communities in Manitoba.

The average length per connection for wastewater collection (sewer) pipes is 33 meters per connection. A small majority of systems (27) have pipe lengths above 30 meters per connection. The population of most of the communities being serviced is less than 2000 people.

3.3 Water Risk Evaluation

A risk assessment has been completed for each water system according to the INAC Risk Level Evaluation Guidelines. Each facility is ranked in risk according to the following categories: Water Source, Design, Operation (and Maintenance), Reporting and Operators. The risk levels of all five categories are then used to determine the overall risk for the system.

Each of the five risk categories, as well as the overall risk level of the entire system, is ranked numerically from 1 to 10. Low, medium and high risks are defined as follows:

• Low Risk (1.0 to 4.0): These are systems that operate with minor deficiencies. Low-risk systems usually meet the water quality parameters that are specified by the appropriate Canadian Guidelines for drinking water (in particular, the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ)).
• Medium Risk (4.1 to 7.0): These are systems with deficiencies, which— individually or combined— pose a medium risk to the quality of water and to human health. These systems do not generally require immediate action, but the deficiencies should be corrected to avoid future problems.
• High Risk (7.1 to 10.0): These are systems with major deficiencies, which— individually or combined—pose a high risk to the quality of water. These deficiencies may lead to potential health and safety or environmental concerns. They could also result in water quality advisories against drinking the water (such as, but not limited to, boil water advisories), repetitive non-compliance with guidelines, and inadequate water supplies. Once systems are classified under this category, regions and First Nations must take immediate corrective action to minimize or eliminate deficiencies.

Regional Risk Summary:

Of the 74 water systems inspected:

• 21 are categorized as high overall risk
• 32 are categorized as medium overall risk
• 21 are categorized as low overall risk.

The table in Appendix E.1 summarizes the correlation between component risk and overall risk.

Figure 3.4 provides a geographical representation of the final risk for the water systems that were inspected.

Description of figure 3.4 – Manitoba Water System Risk

This image provides a map of the location of high-, medium-, and low-risk water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba. High-risk systems are identified with a red dot, medium-risk systems are identified with a yellow dot, and low-risk systems are identified with a green dot.

There is also a pie chart that illustrates the number and percentage of water systems that are high, medium, and low risk.

• There are 74 water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.
• 21 water systems are high risk, which represents 28.5 percent of the total number of water systems in the region. 32 systems are medium risk, which represents 43 percent of the total number of water systems in the region. 21 water systems are low risk, which represents 28.5 percent of the total number of water systems in the region.

3.3.1 Overall System Risk by Source

The following table summarizes the overall system risk by water source. In general, Municipal Type Agreement systems have the lowest risk, followed by surface water systems and, finally, groundwater systems.

Table 3.3 - Summary of Overall Risk Levels by Water Source

Overall Risk Level	Groundwater	Surface Water	MTA	Total
High	12	9	0	21
Medium	10	21	1	32
Low	10	7	4	21
Total	32	37	5	74

3.3.2 Overall System Risk by Treatment Classification

The following table summarizes the overall system risk by classification level of the treatment system. Although there is no clear pattern between the system classification level and overall system risk, 92% of the Small Systems are classified as high risk and 56% and 50% of the Level II and Level III systems are medium risk, respectively.

Table 3.4 - Summary of Overall Risk Levels by Treatment System Classification

Overall Risk Level	Small System	Level I	Level II	Level III	MTA	Total
High	11	1	6	3	0	21
Medium	1	3	18	9	1	32
Low	0	3	8	6	4	21
Total	12	7	32	18	5	74

Description of figure 3.5 - Risk Profile Based on Water Treatment System Classification

This graph illustrates the risk profile of water treatment systems in Manitoba by the treatment system classification. It illustrates what percentage of each type of system is high, medium and low risk. It also shows the mean overall risk level by the treatment classification.

There are five treatment system classifications:

• Small System
• Level I System
• Level II System
• Level III System
• MTA (Municipal Type Agreement) System

Small Systems

• The mean overall risk for Small Systems is 8.12.
• 8 percent of the Small Systems have a medium overall risk. 92 percent of the Small Systems have a high overall risk.

Level I Systems

• The mean overall risk for Level I Systems is 4.76.
• 43 percent of the Level I Systems have a low overall risk. 43 percent of the Level I Systems have a medium overall risk. 14 percent of the Level I Systems have a high overall risk.

Level II Systems

• The mean overall risk for Level II Systems is 5.24.
• 25 percent of the Level II Systems have a low overall risk. 56 percent of the Level II Systems have a medium overall risk. 19 percent of the Level II Systems have a high overall risk.

Level III Systems

• The mean overall risk for Level III Systems is 4.87.
• 33 percent of the Level III Systems have a low overall risk. 50 percent of the Level III Systems have a medium overall risk.17 percent of the Level III Systems have a high overall risk.

MTA (Municipal Type Agreement) Systems

• The mean overall risk for MTA (Municipal Type Agreement) Systems is 3.94.
• 20 percent of the Municipal Type Agreement Systems have a medium overall risk. 80 percent of the Municipal Type Agreement Systems have a low overall risk.

3.3.3 Overall Risk by Number of Connections

For the Manitoba region, approximately 81% of systems serving more than 100 connections are medium and low overall risk. For systems serving less than 100 connections, approximately 85% are medium or high risk.

3.3.4 Component Risks: Water

The overall risk is comprised of five component risks: water source, design, operation, reporting and operator. Each of these component risk factors is discussed below.

Description of figure 3.6 – Water: Risk Profile Based on Risk Components

This graph illustrates the mean risk score associated with each type of risk component for all water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

• The risk associated with the source component has a mean score of 7.7.
• The risk associated with the design component has a mean score of 4.1.
• The risk associated with the operation component has a mean score of 6.3.
• The risk associated with the reporting component has a mean score of 6.7.
• The risk associated with the operator component has a mean score of 3.1.

Data for Figure 3.6 - Water: Risk Profile Based on Risk Components

	Source	Design	Operation	Reporting	Operator
Risk	7.7	4.1	6.3	6.7	3.1
Minimum	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Maximum	10.0	8.0	10.0	10.0	10.0
Std. Dev.	2.1	2.3	2.3	3.4	3.3

3.3.5 Component Risk - Water: Source

The risk associated with the water source has a mean score of 7.7 overall. The mean source risk by type is:

• groundwater at 7.4
• surface water at 8.7
• Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) at 2.4.

Systems that rely on surface water typically have a higher component risk score than systems that rely on groundwater. Consequently, the risk formula automatically assigns a higher base risk to these types of systems.

The following figure identifies the drivers that contribute to source risk scores.

Description of figure 3.7 – Source Risk Drivers

This graph identifies the frequency of the main drivers that contribute to water source risk in First Nations communities in Manitoba. There are four key risk drivers:

• No Source Water Protection Plan;
• Deterioration of Water Quality Over Time;
• Risk of Contamination; and
• Insufficient Capacity to Meet Future Requirements.

• 96 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have no Source Water Protection Plan.
• For 35 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba, water quality has deteriorated over time.
• There is a risk of contamination for 78 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.
• 49 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have an insufficient capacity to meet future requirements.

3.3.6 Component Risk - Water: Design

The risk associated with the design has a mean score of 4.1 overall. The mean design risk score by type of source is:

• groundwater at 4.5
• surface water at 4.0
• Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) at 2.8.

The higher design risk associated with groundwater was due to lack of treatment to ensure that the aesthetic and operational guidelines were being met. As part of the multi-barrier approach to water treatment, chlorination is now required for all water systems. A groundwater system with an increased design risk is typically associated with not having disinfection systems in place or not providing sufficient contact time to ensure that the chlorination process is adequate.

The higher risk for surface water sources and Municipal Type agreements is typically because the treated water system or distribution system exceeds the GCDWQ for disinfection by-products.

There are several key drivers that have a significant impact on the region's design risk scores, including:

• failure to meet the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ)
• exceeding the GCDWQ Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) for bacteria
• no disinfection system in place or a disinfection system that is not being used
• no appropriate treatment in place to meet INAC's Protocol requirements
• problems with system reliability
• systems approaching or exceeding design capacity
• systems not having appropriate waste management.

The frequency of each design risk driver resulting is listed in the figure below.

Description of figure 3.8 – Design Risk Drivers

This graph identifies the frequency of the main drivers that contribute to the design risk for water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

There are eight key risk drivers:

• Failure to Meet Bacteriologial MAC (Maximum Allowable Concentration) due to Design;
• Disinfection System Not in Place;
• Failure to Meet GCDWQ (Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality) due to Design;
• Inappropriate Treatment Processes;
• Poor System Reliability;
• No Design Flexibility;
• Exceeds 75 percent Capacity; and
• Inappropriate Waste Management.

The risk drivers are in red and green. The risk drivers in red result in the entire water system being given a high-risk score, regardless of all the other component scores. Failure to Meet Bacteriological MAC (Maximum Allowable Concentration) due to Design is the only risk driver in red. The rest of the risk drivers are in green.

• 7 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba fail to meet the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) of bacteria due to design. As a result, these systems were given high-risk scores, regardless of all the other component scores.
• There is no disinfection system in place for 17 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.
• 16 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba fail to meet the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality due to design.
• 30 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have inappropriate treatment processes in place.
• 14 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have poor system reliability.
• 32 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have no design flexibility.
• 35 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba exceed 75 percent capacity.
• 26 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba practice inappropriate waste management.

It should be noted that the design risk drivers in red result in the entire water system being given a high risk score, regardless of all of the other component risk scores.

3.3.7 Component Risk - Water: Operation

The risk associated with operation has a mean score of 6.3 overall. The mean operation risk score by type of source is:

• groundwater at 6.0
• surface water at 6.6
• Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) at 5.8.

Areas that increased risk include: operators not maintaining records, operators not having or not using approved Operation & Maintenance manuals, and operators not scheduling and performing maintenance activities. An increased effort in these areas would lower both the operation risk component and the overall risk scores.

There are several key drivers that have a significant impact on the region's operation risk scores, including:

• failure to meet the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ)
• exceeding the GCDWQ Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) for bacteria
• maintenance logs being inadequately maintained
• lack of general system maintenance
• Emergency Response Plan not in place
• Operations & Maintenance manual not available or not in use.

Description of figure 3.9 – Operations Risk Drivers

This graph identifies the frequency of the main risk drivers that contribute to the operation risk for water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

There are 7 key risk drivers:

• Failure to Meet Bacteriological MAC (Maximum Allowable Concentration) Due to Operations;
• Failure to Meet the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ) Due to Operations;
• Inadequate Operation Logs;
• Inadequate Maintenance Logs;
• Maintenance Not Adequately Performed;
• Emergency Response Plan Not Available for Use; and
• Operation and Maintenance (O & M) Manual Not Available or Not in Use.

Risk drivers are in red and green. The risk drivers in red result in the entire water system being given a high-risk score, regardless of all the other component scores. Failure to Meet Bacteriological Maximum Allowable Concentration (MAC) due to Operations is the only risk driver in red. The rest of the risk drivers are in green.

• 13 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba fail to meet the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) of bacteria due to operations. As a result, these systems received high-risk scores, regardless of all the other component scores.
• 26 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba fail to meet the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water due to operations.
• 22 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have inadequate operation logs.
• 59 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have inadequate maintenance logs.
• Maintenance is not being performed adequately for 33 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.
• An Emergency Response Plan is not available for use in 99 percent of the water systems in First Nationscommunities in Manitoba.
• An O & M (Operation and Maintenance) Manual is not available or not in use for 70 percent of the water systems in First Nation communities in Manitoba.

Description of figure 3.10 – Summary of Findings: Water Systems Operational Practices

This graph identifies which operational practices are being performed and which operational practices are not being performed for water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

Line Flushing

• 74 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba practice line flushing.
• 26 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba do not currently practice line flushing.

Line Swabbing

• 2 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba practice line swabbing.
• 98 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba do not currently practice line swabbing.

Hydrant Flushing

• 75 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba practice hydrant flushing.
• 25 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba do not currently practice hydrant flushing.

Reservoir Cleaning

• 64 percent of the water systems in First Nation communities in Manitoba practice reservoir cleaning. 36 percent of the water systems in First Nation communities in Manitoba do not currently practice reservoir cleaning.

Fire Pump Tests

• 47 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba practice fire pump tests.
• 53 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba do not currently practice fire pump tests.

SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) On site

• 58 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba practice Standard Operating Procedures on site.
• 42 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba do not practice Standard Operating Procedures on site.

Maintenance Scheduled and Performed

• 75 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba schedule and perform maintenance.
• 25 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba do not currently schedule and perform maintenance.

Repair and Upgrade Records

• 42 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba maintain records of repairs and upgrades.
• 58 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba do not currently maintain records of repairs and upgrades.

O & M (Operation and Maintenance) Efforts Acceptable

• The operation and maintenance efforts of 97 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba are acceptable.
• The operation and maintenance of 3 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba are not acceptable.

All Components Working

• All components are working for 31 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.
• Not all components are working for 69 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

One or more major components are not working for approximately 70% of the systems. Although the operators for approximately 75% of systems practice line and hydrant flushing, most do not regularly swab watermains. Approximately 36% do not clean reservoirs and 53% do not test fire pumps. Records of system maintenance and repairs were available for only 42% of the systems.

3.3.8 Component Risk - Water: Reporting

The risk associated with reporting has a mean score of 6.7 overall. Some of the Municipal Type Agreements include a reservoir and re-chlorination with highlift pumping to the distribution system. These facilities are generally not keeping records of chlorine residual and flow. This is reflected in the risk score of 9.2. The mean reporting risk score by type of source is:

• groundwater at 7.1
• surface water at 6.0
• Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) at 9.2.

Inconsistent record keeping and reporting are the main drivers for reporting risk for all systems (62%).

Description of figure 3.11 – Reporting Risk Drivers

This graph illustrates the frequency of the main drivers that contribute to reporting risks for water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

There are 3 key risk drivers: Inconsistent Records, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) not Calibrated and Confirmed Accurate; and Poor Records for Key Parameters.

• 62 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have inconsistent records.
• 52 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have poor records for key parameters.
• For 6 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba, the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) has not been calibrated and confirmed to be accurate.

3.3.9 Component Risk - Water: Operator

The risk associated with the operator has a mean score of 3.1 overall, which is the lowest overall component risk score for all types of systems. The majority of the systems have a primary operator, with the exception of a few small groundwater pumphouses. Although more complicated systems based on treatment classification require an operator with a higher level of training, the operator risk is highest for groundwater systems. The mean operator risk score by type of source is:

• groundwater at 4.3
• surface water at 2.5
• Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) at 1.0.

The extent to which existing systems have fully certified primary and backup operators is presented in Table 3.5. Of the 69 systems that require a certified operator for the water treatment system, 49% did not have a fully certified primary operator and 88% did not have a fully certified backup operator. Of the 69 systems that require a certified operator for the distribution system, 38% did not have a fully certified primary operator and 75% did not have a fully certified backup operator.

Table 3.5 - Water: Operator Status for Manitoba Region

	Primary Operator		Backup Operator
	Treatment	Distribution	Treatment	Distribution
No. of Systems Currently Without an Operator	5	4	15	14
No. of Systems with Operator with No Certification	15	16	36	37
No. of Systems with Operator Certified but not to the Required Level of the System	14	6	10	1
No. of Systems with Operator with Adequate Certification	35	43	8	17
No. of Systems Not Requiring Operators with Certification	5	5	5	5
Total No. of Systems	74	74	74	74

Those factors which frequently contribute to increased operator risk are identified in Figure 3.12. A lack of certification, lack of training and the lack of primary or backup operator are common drivers that increase operator risk.

Description of figure 3.12 – Operator Risk Drivers

This graph illustrates the frequency of the main drivers that contribute to the operator risk for water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

There are 5 key risk drivers:

• No Primary Operator and/or Primary Operator Not Certified to the Treatment System Classification;
• Primary Operator Uncertified and/or Insufficient Experience/Training for the Distribution System;
• Primary Operator Not Enrolled in Training;
• No Backup Operator or Backup Operator Not Certified; and
• No Access to Fully Trained Operator.

• For 49 percent of the water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba, there is no primary operator and/or the primary operator is not certified to the level required by the treatment system classification.
• For 42 percent of the water systems systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba, the primary operator is uncertified and/or has insufficient experience/training for the distribution system.
• For 18 percent of the water systems systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba, the primary operator is not enrolled in training.
• 74 percent of the water systems systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have no backup operator or they have a backup operator who has no certification.
• 13 percent of the water systems systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have no access to a fully trained operator.

3.4 Wastewater Risk Evaluation

A risk assessment was completed for each wastewater system according to INAC's Risk Level Evaluation Guidelines. The risk of each wastewater facility is ranked according to the following categories: effluent receiver, design, operation and maintenance, reporting, and operators. The overall risk score is a weighted average of the component risk scores.

Each of the five risk categories, as well as the overall risk level of the entire system, is ranked numerically from 1 to 10. A risk ranking of 1.0 to 4.0 represents low risk, a risk ranking of 4.1 to 7.0 represents a medium risk, and a risk of 7.1 to 10.0 represents a high risk.

Of the 61 wastewater systems inspected:

• 6 are categorized as high overall risk
• 38 are categorized as medium overall risk
• 17 systems are categorized as low risk.

Appendix E.2 provides a table summarizing the correlation between component risk and overall risk.

Figure 3.13 provides a geographical representation of the final risk for the wastewater systems that were inspected.

Description of figure 3.13 – Manitoba Wastewater System Risk

This image provides a map of the location of high-, medium-, and low-risk wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba. High-risk systems are identified with a red dot, medium-risk systems are identified with a yellow dot, and low-risk systems are identified with a green dot.

The map also includes a pie chart that illustrates the number and percentage of high-, medium-, and low-risk systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

• There are 61 wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba. Of these, 6 wastewater systems are high risk, which represents 10 percent of the total number of wastewater systems in the region. 38 wastewater sytems are medium risk, which represents 62 percent of the wastewater systems in the region. 17 wastewater systems are low risk, which represents 28 percent of the wastewater systems in the region.

3.4.1 Overall System Risk by Treatment Classification

Figure 3.14 demonstrates the correlation between the overall system risk and the classification level of the treatment system. In the Manitoba region, the majority of the systems are Level I or Level II; there are only five Level III systems and four Small Systems. For Municipal Type Agreements, it is assumed that the municipality operates their system in accordance with provincial legislation, which results in a low-risk effluent receiver.

All four of the Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) systems are low risk. For the Manitoba region:

• all of the Small Systems are low to medium risk
• all of the Level I systems except one are categorized as low to medium risk
• 90% of the Level II systems are categorized as medium to high risk
• all five of the Level III systems are categorized as medium risk.

Description of figure 3.14 – Risk Profile Based on Wastewater Treatment System Classification

This graph illustrates the relationship between the mean overall system risk and the treatment system classification level for watewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba. It also illustrates the percentage of low, medium, and high overall risk scores by system type.

Small Systems

• The mean overall risk for Small Systems is 4.73.
• 50 percent of the Small Systems have a low overall risk. 50 percent of the Small Systems have a medium overall risk.

Level I Systems

• The mean overall risk for Level I Systems is 4.64.
• 32 percent of the Level I Systems have a low overall risk. 64 percent of the Level I Systems have a medium overall risk. 4 percent of the Level I Systems have a high overall risk.

Level II Systems

• The mean overall risk for Level II Systems is 5.97.
• 10 percent of the Level II Systems have a low overall risk. 65 percent of the Level II Systems have a medium overall risk. 25 percent of the Level II Systems have a high overall risk.

Level III Systems

• The mean overall risk for Level III Systems is 5.86.
• 100 percent of the Level III Systems have a low overall risk.

MTA (Municipal Type Agreement) Systems

• The mean overall risk for MTA (Municipal Type Agreement) Systems is 2.33.
• 100 percent of the MTA (Municipal Type Agreement) Systems have a low overall risk.

3.4.2 Overall System Risk by Number of Connections

For the Manitoba region, the overall system risk generally increased with the number of connections.

3.4.3 Component Risks: Wastewater

The overall risk is comprised of five component risks: effluent receiver, design, operation, reporting and operators. Each of these component risk factors are discussed below.

Description of figure 3.15 – Wastewater: Risk Profile Based on Risk Components

This graph illustrates the risk associated with each type of risk component for all wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.The graph shows the mean risk score for wastewater systems by the type of risk component. There are five risk components: effluent; design; operation; reporting; and operator.

• The risk associated with the effluent has a mean score of 6.0.
• The risk associated with the design has a mean score of 3.7.
• The risk associated with the operation has a mean score of 6.7.
• The risk associated with the reporting has a mean score of 5.6.
• The risk associated with the operator has a mean score of 2.8.

Data for Figure 3.15 - Wastewater: Risk Profile Based on Risk Components

	Effluent	Design	Operation	Reporting	Operator
Risk	6.0	3.7	6.7	5.6	2.8
Minimum	1.0	1.0	3.0	1.0	1.0
Maximum	10.0	8.0	10.0	10.0	10.0
Std. Dev.	2.8	2.1	1.9	4.2	2.8

3.4.4 Component Risk - Wastewater: Effluent Receiver

The effluent receiver has a mean risk score of 6.0. There are two key risk drivers of this component:

• the receiving environment
• the extent to which the receiver is required for other human uses, such as fishing, recreation or drinking water.

The mean effluent receiver risk scores are:

• septic at 3.0
• aerated lagoon at 6.1
• facultative lagoon at 5.0
• mechanical sewage treatment plant at 7.7
• Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) at 1.8.

Description of figure 3.16 – Effluent Risk Drivers

This graph illustrates the frequency of the main drivers that contribute to the effluent risk for wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba. There are four key risk drivers:

• High-Risk Effluent Receiver
• Possible Species at Risk in the Receiving Environment
• Nearby Human Use of the Receiving Environment
• Receiving Environment is a Sensitive Area.

• 62 percent of the wastewater systems have a high-risk effluent receiver.
• 5 percent of the wastewater systems possibly have species at risk in the receiving environment.
• 74 percent of the wastewater systems have human use nearby the receiving environment.
• For 11 percent of the wastewater systems, the receiving environment is a sensitive area.

3.4.5 Component Risk - Wastewater: Design

The risk associated with the design has a mean score of 3.7. The risk associated with the design has the second lowest mean component score; however, excluding Municipal Type Agreements, 18 of the systems have a high or medium component risk score, and 39 have a low risk score. The mean design risk scores are:

• septic at 3.0
• aerated lagoon at 2.8
• facultative lagoon at 3.2
• mechanical sewage treatment plant at 5.0
• Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) at 1.3.

There are several key drivers that have a significant impact on the design risk scores of wastewater systems in the region, including:

• inappropriate treatment processes
• poor system reliability
• system lacks the flexibility to meet future growth
• system has exceeded the design capacity
• inappropriate waste management.

Description of figure 3.17 – Design Risk Drivers

This graph identifies the frequency of the main drivers that contribute to design risk for wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

There are eight key drivers that contribute to design risk:

• Design-Related Failure to meet Guidelines;
• Inappropriate Treatment Processes;
• Poor System Reliability;
• No Design Flexibility;
• Exceeds 75 percent Capacity;
• Inappropriate Waste Management;
• Does Not Meet Applicable Design Standards; and
• Plant/System (Workplace) Considered Dangerous.

• 5 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba failed to meet guidelines because of a design-related failure.
• 21 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have inappropriate treatment processes.
• 67 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have poor system reliability.
• 36 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have no design flexibility.
• 41 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba exceed 75 percent of their estimated capacities.
• 25 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have inappropriate waste management.
• 11 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba do not meet applicable design standards.
• For 8 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba, the workplace/plant is considered to be dangerous.

3.4.6 Component Risk - Wastewater: Operation

The risk associated with the operation has a mean score of 6.7. Most of the wastewater systems have a medium- or high-risk score. This is identified as an area of opportunity for increased risk-mitigation efforts.The mean operation risk scores are:

• septic at 8.0
• aerated lagoon at 5.5
• facultative lagoon at 7.1
• mechanical sewage treatment plant at 7.1
• Municipal Type Agreement (MTA) at 4.5.

There are several key drivers that have a significant impact on the operation risk scores of wastewater systems in the Manitoba Region:

• inadequate maintenance logs
• general maintenance not being performed adequately
• Emergency Response Plans not in place or not being used
• Operations & Maintenance manuals not available or not in use.

Description of figure 3.18 – Operation Risk Drivers

This graph identifies the frequency of the main risk drivers that contribute to the operation risk for wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

There are five key risk drivers:

• Failure to Meet Federal Effluent Quality Guidelines Due to Operations;
• Inadequate Maintenance Logs;
• Maintenance Not Adequately Performed;
• Emergency Response Plan Not Available or Not in Use; and
• Operation and Maintenance (O & M) Manual Not Available or Not in Use.

• 18 percent of wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba failed to meet federal effluent quality guidelines due to operations.
• 64 percent of wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have inadequate maintenance logs.
• Maintenance is not being performed adequately for 46 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.
• For 98 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba, an Emergency Response Plan is not available or not in use.
• An O & M (Operation and Maintenance) Manual is not available or not in use for 80 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba.

3.4.7 Component Risk - Wastewater: Reporting

The risk associated with reporting has a mean score of 5.6. The reporting risk evaluates the maintenance of effluent-testing and system-monitoring records. Little record keeping is required for septic systems and lagoons (other than keeping general maintenance logs of lagoons and septic systems, and sampling before discharge for lagoons). Inconsistent record keeping is a significant factor in raising the overall risk ranking for mechanical treatment plants with constant discharge. The mean reporting risk scores are:

• septic at 1.0
• aerated lagoon at 4.8
• facultative lagoon at 3.6
• mechanical sewage treatment plant at 8.3
• Municipal Type Agreements (MTA) at 3.3.

Description of figure 3.19 – Reporting Risk Drivers

This graph identifies the frequency of the main risk drivers that contribute to the reporting risk for wastewater in First Nations communities in Manitoba. There are three key reporting risk drivers: Inconsistent Records; Poor Records for Key Parameters; and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System not Calibrated and Confirmed Accurate.

• 46 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have inconsistent records.
• 43 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have poor records for key parameters.
• For 8 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba, the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System has not been calibrated and confirmed to be accurate.

3.4.8 Component Risk - Wastewater: Operator

The risk associated with the operator has a mean score of 2.8. Operator risk is determined by whether or not the operators have adequate certification. There are only six systems that have a high-risk system because operators do not have adequate certification and/or an available backup operator. Operator risk is categorized as medium for 10 of the systems and low for the remaining 45 systems.

The extent to which existing wastewater systems have fully certified primary and backup operators is presented in Table 3.6. Of the 57 systems which require a certified operator for the wastewater treatment system, 44% did not have a fully certified primary operator and 89% did not have a fully certified backup operator. Of the 58 systems which require a certified operator for the collection system, 41% did not have a fully certified primary operator and 88% did not have a fully certified backup operator.

To ensure that the component risk remains low, it is important to ensure that all operators are enrolled in training and become certified to the level of their respective treatment systems.

Table 3.6 - Wastewater: Operator Status for Manitoba Region

	Primary Operator		Backup Operator
	Treatment	Collection	Treatment	Collection
No. of Systems Currently Without an Operator	1	2	11	13
No. of Systems with Operator with No Certification	17	16	39	38
No. of Systems with Operator Certified but not to the Required Level of the System	7	6	1	0
No. of Systems with Operator with Adequate Certification	32	34	6	7
No. of Systems Not Requiring Operators with Certification	4	3	4	3
Total No. of Systems	61	61	61	61

Those factors which frequently contribute to increased wastewater operator risk are identified in Figure 3.20. A lack of certification, lack of training and the lack of primary or backup operator are common drivers that increase operator risk.

Description of figure 3.20 – Operators Risk Drivers

This graph identifies the frequency of the main risk drivers that contribute to the operation risk for wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba. There are five key risk drivers:

• No Primary Operator and/or Primary Operator Not Certified to the Treatment System Classification;
• Primary Operator Uncertified and/or has Insufficient Experience/Training for the Collection System;
• Primary Operator Not Enrolled in Training;
• No Backup Operator and/or Backup Operator Not Certified to the Treatment System Classification; and
• No Access to Fully Trained Operator.

• 44 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba either have no primary operator or they have a primary operator who is not certified to the treatment system classification.
• 38 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have a primary operator who is uncertified and/or who has insufficient experience/training for the collection system.
• The primary operator is not enrolled in training for 26 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba
• 88 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have no backup operator and/or they have a backup operator who is not certified to the treatment system classification.
• 18 percent of the wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba have no access to a fully trained operator.

4.0 Cost Analysis

4.1 Upgrade to Meet INAC's Protocols: Water

In 2006, INAC began to develop a series of Protocol documents for centralised and decentralised water and wastewater systems in First Nations communities. The Protocols contains standards for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of these systems.

One of the objectives of this study was to review the existing water and wastewater infrastructure and to identify the potential upgrade costs to meet INAC's Protocols, and federal and provincial guidelines, standards and regulations. The total estimated construction cost for water system upgrades to meet the INAC Protocol is $52.5 million.

Table 4.1 provides a breakdown of the estimated total capital costs that we have identified. A separate line item is included for engineering and contigency. Figure 4.1 provides a comparison graph of each of the categories.

Table 4.1 - Estimated Total Construction Costs: Water

Description	Protocol - Estimated Cost	Federal - Estimated Cost	Provincial - Estimated Cost
Building	$5,286,450	$1,026,950	$1,495,950
Distribution	$3,244,000	$1,664,000	$1,664,000
Equipment	$1,436,000	$1,344,000	$11,000
Additional Fire Pumps	$210,000	$0	$165,000
Monitoring Equipment	$1,325,000	$1,220,000	$314,000
Source	$1,400,000	$50,000	$50,000
Storage & Pumping	$3,047,000	$2,070,000	$2,070,000
Treatment	$23,143,000	$7,406,500	$3,312,000
Standby Power	$2,865,000	$100,000	$30,000
Engineering & Contingencies	$10,511,000	$3,743,400	$2,298,000
Construction Total Estimate	$52,467,450	$18,624,850	$11,409,950

There are 21 water systems that may potentially have groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GUDI) supplies. The upgrade costs for these systems have been estimated under the assumption that they will prove to be secure groundwater supplies, but further studies are recommended to confirm this assumption.

If the GUDI studies indicate that these supplies should be considered to be surface water rather than groundwater, then additional upgrade requirements will be necessary for these systems to meet INAC's Protocols. It is estimated that, depending on system capacity and site indices, an additional $1.0 to $2.5 million will be required for each system that needs to be upgraded to surface-water treatment.

Description of figure 4.1 – Breakdown of the Estimated Construction Costs to Meet INAC's Protocols

This pie chart provides a breakdown (in millions of dollars) of the estimated construction costs of the upgrades that are required for water systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols.

The costs are divided into ten categories:

• Additional Fire Pumps
• Building
• Distribution
• Engineering & Contingencies
• Equipment
• Monitoring Equipment
• Source
• Standby Power
• Storage & Pumping
• Treatment

• The total estimated cost for the additional fire pumps that are required for First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 0.2 million dollars.
• The total estimated building cost for the upgrades that are required for First Nationd communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 5.3 million dollars.
• The total estimated cost of the distribution upgrades that are required for First Nationd communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 3.2 million dollars.
• The total estimated cost of engineering and contingencies for the upgrades that are required for First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 10.5 million dollars.
• The total estimated equipment cost for the upgrades that are required for First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 1.4 million dollars.
• The total estimated monitoring equipment cost for the upgrades that are required for First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 1.3 million dollars.
• The total estimated cost for the source upgrades that are required for First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 1.4 million dollars.
• The total estimated cost for the standy power upgrades that are required for First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 2.9 million dollars.
• The total estimated storage and pumping cost for the upgrades that are required for First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 3.0 million dollars.
• The total estimated treatment cost for the upgrades that are required for First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocols is 23.1 million dollars.

The following lists provide a summary of the Protocol items for the two categories with the highest cumulative Protocol costs that are listed above.

Treatment

• Provide spare chemical feed equipment.
• Provide spare disinfection equipment.
• Provide additional filter train.
• Provide secondary containment for treatment chemicals.
• Provide specific treatment equipment (i.e. arsenic, manganese, etc.).
• Upgrade capacity of existing water treatment plant.

Building

• Expand facility to house redundant treatment equipment and/or provide adequate storage space.
• Provide proper ventilation.
• Provide additional building security.

Table 4.2 - Estimated Total Non-Construction Costs: Water

Description	Protocol - Estimated Cost	Federal - Estimated Cost	Provincial - Estimated Cost
Training	$590,000	$610,000	$610,000
GUDI Studies	$440,000	$0	$0
Plans/Documentation	$3,357,500	$2,792,500	$1,800,000
Studies	$95,000	$40,000	$40,000
Non-Construction Total Estimate	$4,482,500	$3,442,500	$2,450,000

Additional annual operations and maintenance costs, shown in Table 4.3, include costs that occur annually for items that are not currently being completed to meet protocols, such as calibrating monitoring equipment, additional sampling, cleaning the reservoir, and backup operator's salary.

Table 4.3 - Estimated Additional Annual Operation & Maintenance Costs: Water

Description	Estimated Cost
Sampling	$101,000
Operations	$131,500
Operator	$130,000
Water O&M Total Estimated Cost	$362,500

The total estimated cost, including construction and non-construction costs, for water system upgrades to meet the INAC Protocol is $57 million. This excludes costs associated with potentially GUDI systems, which prove to be GUDI systems as discussed previously.

4.2 Upgrades to Meet INAC's Protocols: Wastewater

The total estimated construction cost for wastewater system upgrades to meet INAC Protocol is $24.6 million. A list of the specific needs, the number of systems impacted, and the total cost is provided below. Upgrading treatment capacity and providing standby power represent over 66% of the projected costs of meeting INAC's Protocols. Six systems require upgrading capacity, which is a high-cost upgrade.

Table 4.4 - Estimated Total Construction and Related Costs: Wastewater

Description	Protocol - Estimated Cost	Federal - Estimated Cost	Provincial - Estimated Cost
Building	$579,950	$278,950	$567,950
Collection System	$1,840,000	$1,840,000	$1,840,000
Equipment	$558,000	$302,000	$6,000
Monitoring Equipment	$304,000	$42,000	$5,000
Pumping Stations	$209,500	$198,500	$187,500
Treatment	$12,423,000	$11,343,000	$11,343,000
Standby Power	$3,755,000	$3,325,000	$3,205,000
Engineering & Contingencies	$4,965,500	$4,350,500	$4,317,000
Construction Total Estimate	$24,634,950	$21,679,950	$21,471,450

Description of figure 4.2 – Breakdown of the Estimated Construction Costs to Meet Protocol: Wastewater

This pie chart provides a breakdown of the estimated construction costs (in millions of dollars) of the wastewater system upgrades that are required for wastewater systems in First Nations communities in Manitoba to meet INAC's Protocol.

The costs are divided into eight categories:

• Building
• Collection System
• Engineering & Contingencies
• Equipment
• Monitoring Equipment
• Pumping Stations
• Standy Power
• Treatment

• The estimated building cost for wastewater systems to meet INAC's Protocol is 0.6 million dollars.
• The estimated collection system cost for wastewater systems to meet INAC's Protocol is 1.8 million dollars.
• The estimated engineering and contingencies cost for wastewater systems to meet INAC's Protocol is 5.0 million dollars.
• The estimated equipment cost for wastewater systems to meet INAC's Protocol is 0.6 million dollars.
• The estimated monitoring equipment cost for wastewater systems to meet INAC's Protocol is 0.3 million dollars.
• The estimated pumping station cost for wastewaster systems to meet INAC's Protocol is 0.2 million dollars.
• The estimated standby power cost for wastewater systems to meet INAC's Protocol is 3.8 million dollars.
• The estimated treatment cost for wastewater systems to meet INAC's Protocol is 12.4 million dollars.

Treatment and Standby Power are the two construction-cost categories with the highest cumulative costs to meet INAC Protocols.

Treatment costs include:

• Constructing additional lagoon cells.
• Providing fencing for security.
• Providing flow meters.
• Providing new pumping stations.

Standby Power costs include:

• Providing standby power for sewage pumping stations.

Table 4.5 - Estimated Total Non-Construction and Related Costs: Wastewater

Description	Protocol - Estimated Cost	Federal - Estimated Cost	Provincial - Estimated Cost
Training	$280,000	$280,000	$280,000
Plans/Documentation	$447,500	$217,500	$10,000
Non-Construction Total Estimate	$727,500	$497,500	$290,000

Additional annual operations and maintenance costs, as shown in Table 4.6, include costs that occur annually, for items that are not currently being completed to meet protocols, such as calibrating monitoring equipment, additional sampling, and backup operator's salary.

Table 4.6 - Estimated Additional Annual Operation & Maintenance Costs: Wastewater

Description	Estimated Cost
Sampling	$94,800
Operations	$3,000
Operator	$295,000
Wastewater O&M Total Estimated Cost	$392,800

The total estimated cost, including construction and non-construction costs, for wastewater system upgrades is $25.4 million.

4.3 Upgrade Cost Summary

Table 4.7 provides a summary of the upgrade costs to meet INAC's Protocols, and federal and provincial guidelines, standards, and regulations.

Table 4.7 - Summary and Comparison of Upgrade Costs

	Total Estimated Cost
	Water	Wastewater
Upgrade to meet Protocol	$56,949,950	$25,362,450
Upgrade to meet Federal Guidelines	$22,067,350	$22,177,450
Upgrade to meet Provincial Guidelines	$13,859,950	$21,761,450

The following tables present a breakdown of the Protocol upgrade costs by risk level.

Table 4.8 - Breakdown of Protocol Estimated Costs by Risk Level: Water

Risk Level	Short Term	Long Term	Total
High	$14,259,884	$205,412	$14,465,296
Medium	$30,075,318	$0	$30,075,318
Low	$12,409,336	$0	$12,409,336
Total	$56,744,538	$205,412	$56,949,950

Table 4.9 - Breakdown of Protocol Estimated Costs by Risk Level: Wastewater

Risk Level	Short Term	Long Term	Total
High	$17,851,431	$1,482,184	$20,273,658
Medium	$2,593,201	$2,148,670	$5,088,792
Low	$0	$0	$0
Total	$20,444,632	$3,630,854	$25,362,450

5.0 Regional Summary

All 62 First Nations in the Manitoba region were visited during the completion of this project. The 62 First Nations are serviced by 74 water systems (including 5 Municipal Type Agreement systems) and 61 wastewater systems (including 4 Municipal Type Agreement systems).

In the Manitoba region, 82% of the homes are serviced by communal water (51% piped and 31% trucked), 13% are serviced by individual wells, and the remaining 5% have no service.

The northern communities are largely serviced by surface water systems. The distribution is a combination of piped servicing and truck haul. The condition of the roads is a concern in terms of accessibility and wear and tear on the delivery trucks.

In the southern areas, the systems are mainly groundwater, and many of the houses are serviced by individual wells and septics. Six small pumphouses, with direct use of water and no disinfection, serve a small number of houses.

Many of these communities are located in floodplain conditions, and these conditions have a negative impact on the performance of the wells and septic systems. In some cases, these individual systems can be replaced with new wells to provide more secure supplies. In other cases, upgrading to provide piped or truck-haul service may be required.

Of the 61 wastewater systems:

• 32 are lagoons
• 24 are mechanical plants
• 4 are Municipal Type Agreement systems
• 1 is a communal septic system.

73% of the homes are serviced by communal wastewater (45% piped and 28% trucked), 22% are serviced by individual septic systems and the remaining 5% have no service.

There are 21 high-risk water systems and 6 high-risk wastewater systems in the Manitoba region. While there are multiple factors contributing to risk, operations and reporting were generally the highest component risks.

Based on the data collected, operator risk was the lowest of the component risks. In Manitoba Region, the Circuit Rider Training program appears to be very effective and responsive to community needs. It is important to provide ongoing training for operators to ensure that all systems are operated and maintained by trained/certified operators and that monitoring and record keeping is completed in accordance with INAC Protocols.

Another area that should be addressed is the lack of planning tools, including Source Water Protection Plans, Maintenance Management Plans, and Operations and Maintenance Manuals.

INAC supports the First Nations in doing annual or biannual wastewater sampling prior to effluent discharge, which is appropriate for lagoon systems. Additional onsite sampling and record keeping may be appropriate for the mechanical plants with continuous discharge.

In the Manitoba region, Health Canada is very active within the communities. Health Canada maintains Community Based Water Monitors (CBWM's) in most of the communities who undertake regular water quality sampling of the treated and distributed water.

Appendix A Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

Aeration (see also lagoon): The process of bringing air into contact with a liquid (typically water), usually by bubbling air through the liquid, spraying the liquid into the air, allowing the liquid to cascade down a waterfall, or by mechanical agitation. Aeration serves to (1) strip dissolved gases from solution, and/or (2) oxygenate the liquid. (Gowen Environmental)

Aesthetic Objective (AO): Aesthetic objectives are set for drinking water quality parameters such as colour or odour, where exceeding the objective may make the water less pleasant, but not unsafe. (INAC Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater)

Ammonia (See also: Potable water; Effluent quality requirements): A pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH₃) that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure (Merriam-Webster). Ammonia is used in several areas of water and wastewater treatment, such as pH control. It is also used in conjunction with chlorine to produce potable water. The existence of ammonia in wastewater is common in industrial sectors as a by-product of cleaning agents. This chemical impacts both human and environmental conditions. Treatment of ammonia can be completed in lagoon systems and mechanical plants. (R.M. Technologies)

Arsenic: A metallic element that forms a number of compounds. It is found in nature at low levels, mostly in compounds with oxygen, chlorine, and sulphur; these are called inorganic arsenic compounds. Organic arsenic in plants and animals combines with carbon and hydrogen. Inorganic arsenic is a human poison. Organic arsenic is less harmful. High levels of inorganic arsenic in food or water can be fatal. (Medicinenet.com)

Aquifer (confined): A layer of soil or rock below the land surface that is saturated with water. There are layers of impermeable material both above and below it, and it is under pressure so that when the aquifer is penetrated by a well, the water will rise above the top of the aquifer. (INAC Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems)

Aquifer (unconfined): An unconfined aquifer is one whose upper water surface (water table) is at atmospheric pressure, and thus is able to rise and fall. (INAC Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems)

As-built/record drawings: Revised set of drawing submitted by a contractor upon completion of a project or a particular job. They reflect all changes made in the specifications and working drawings during the construction process, and show the exact dimensions, geometry, and location of all elements of the work completed under the contract. Also called as-built drawings or just as-builts.

ACRS Inspection (Asset Condition Reporting System Inspection): For centralised water and wastewater systems, an ACRS (asset condition reporting system) inspection of the system is to be performed once every three (3) years by a qualified person (consulting engineer, Tribal Council engineer), who is not from the First Nation involved, to assess the condition of the asset, adequacy of maintenance efforts, and need for additional maintenance work. The ACRS inspection report will be discussed with, and submitted to, the First Nation council and the INAC regional office. Inspections will be conducted in accordance with the ACRS Manual, a copy of which can be obtained from the INAC regional office.

Bacteria (plural) bacterium (singular): Microscopic living organisms usually consisting of a single cell. Bacteria can aid in pollution control by consuming or breaking down organic matter in sewage and/or other water pollutants. Some bacteria may also cause human, animal, and plant health problems. Bacteria are predominantly found in the intestines and feces of humans and animals. The presence of coliform bacteria in water indicates the contamination of water by raw or partially treated sewage. (INAC Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems)

Baffle (concrete and/or curtain): Vertical/horizontal impermeable barriers in a pond or reservoir. Baffles direct the flow of water into the longest possible path through the reservoir in order to eliminate short-circuiting in the water treatment system. In potable water treatment, short-circuiting can reduce the effectiveness of disinfectants. In effluent treatment, short-circuiting may result in an increase of pollutants at the outlet. Shortcircuiting occurs when water flows directly from the inlet to the outlet across a pond or reservoir. (Layfield)

BOD₅ (Biochemical Oxygen Demand): The most widely used parameter of organic pollution applied to both wastewater and surface water is the 5-day BOD (BOD₅). This determination involves the measurement of the dissolved oxygen used by microorganisms in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter. BOD test results are used to: determine the approximate quantity of oxygen that will be required to biologically stabilize the organic matter present; to determine the size of waste treatment facilities; to measure the efficiency of some treatment processes; and to determine compliance with wastewater discharge permits. (Metcalf & Eddy)

Capacity (actual vs. design): Refers to the capacity of the treatment system, with the "design capacity" being the flow rate proposed by the designer or manufacturer. If the system is not operating to design levels, the "actual capacity" could be limited by failing pumps, clogged filters or not meeting the Protocol (i.e. Protocol requires two filter trains such that one could operate while another is being cleaned/repaired and this was previously not explicitly required; therefore, the actual capacity is half of the design capacity).

Chemical feed equipment: All equipment associated with introducing chemicals to the raw water as part of the treatment process including coagulants, coagulant aids, disinfectants, etc.

Chlorine: A disinfectant used in either gas or liquid from gas that is added to water to protect the consumer from bacteria and other micro-organisms. It is widely used because it is inexpensive and easily injected into water. Because of its concentration, a gallon can treat a large amount of water. However, chlorine use does have drawbacks: when chlorine is used as a disinfectant it combines with naturally occurring decaying organic matter to form Trihalomethanes (THMs). (Vital Life Systems)

Chlorination: The application of chlorine to water, sewage or industrial wastes for disinfection (reduction of pathogens) or to oxidize undesirable compounds. (City of Toronto)

Chlorine Residual: The chlorine level in potable water immediately after it has been treated. (Ontario Ministry of the Environment)

Circuit Rider (see also Circuit Rider Training Program): Under the department's Circuit Rider Trainer Program (CRTP) INAC provides funds to engage circuit riders (third party water and wastewater system experts who provide water and wastewater system operators with on-site, mentoring, training, and emergency assistance). The third-party service providers that provide circuit rider services also provide operators with a 24/7 emergency hotline. (INAC Protocol for Centralised Wastewater Systems in First Nations Communities)

Circuit Rider Training Program: The main vehicle by which most First Nations operators receive the required training to operate their systems. This program provides qualified experts who rotate through a circuit of communities, providing hands-on training for the operators on their own system. Circuit rider trainers also help the First Nations with minor troubles and issues of operation and maintenance of their systems. (INAC Plan of Action)

Cistern: A tank for storing potable water or other liquids, usually placed above the ground. (Bow River Basin Council, cited in Alberta Environment Glossary)

Class "D" Cost Estimates: A preliminary estimate, for each community visited, based on available site information, which indicates the approximate magnitude (+/- 40%) of the cost of the actions recommended in the report, and which may be used in developing long-term capital plans and for a preliminary discussion of proposed capital projects.

Collection piping: Sanitary sewer collecting wastewater from individual buildings and homes, for treatment and disposal at a public facility.

Component risk / component risk factors: The overall risk is determined by five component risks: water source/effluent, design, operation, reporting, and operator.

Community Health Representatives (CHRs): Health Canada's local health representatives. They undertake bacteriological and chlorine residual sampling of distributed water within most First Nation communities.

Contact piping: Dedicated watermain to provide chlorine contact time before potable water is distributed to the first user.

Containment liners (for on-site fuel storage): A form of secondary containment used for diesel driven generators or fire pumps.

Continuous discharge to a receiving body: The release of treated wastewater effluent to a lake, river, stream, etc. where the rate of release is continuous (i.e. not batch discharge).

Conventional Wastewater Treatment: Consists of preliminary processes, primary settling to remove heavy solids and floatable materials, secondary biological aeration to metabolize and flocculate colloidal and dissolved organics, and secondary settling to remove additional solids. Tertiary treatment such as disinfection or filtration to further treat the wastewater depending on the level of treatment required for discharge. Waste sludge drawn from these operations is thickened and processed for ultimate disposal, usually either land application or landfilling. Preliminary treatment processes include coarse screening, medium screening, shredding of solids, flow measuring, pumping, grit removal, and pre-aeration. Chlorination of raw wastewater sometimes is used for odor control and to improve settling characteristics of the solids.

Conventional Water Treatment: Consists of a combination of coagulation (adding chemicals called coagulants), flocculation (particles binding together with coagulants) and sedimentation (settling of particles) to remove a large amount of organic compounds and suspended particles, filtration (water passing through porous media) to remove bacteria protozoa and viruses (slow sand filtration) or suspended particles (rapid sand filtration), and disinfection to ensure all the bacteria protozoa and viruses are removed, and provide safe drinking water.

Cross connections: A cross connection is a link between a possible source of pollution and a potable water supply. A pollutant may enter the potable water system when a) the pressure of the pollution source exceeds the pressure of the potable water source or b) when a sudden loss of pressure occurs in the water system and "backflow" occurs. The flow through a water treatment plant should have no instances of treated water coming into contact with raw or wastewater. Backflow preventers should be tested regularly and any actual physical links should be removed.

Decentralized System: A group or groups of communal (as opposed to private) on-site water or wastewater systems. (INAC Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems)

Dedicated transmission main: A length of watermain which has no service connections or hydrants; can refer to the length of raw watermain from a raw water source to the water treatment plant or in the distribution system where there are larger distances between homes.

Discharge Frequency: The frequency in which treated wastewater is discharged; could be continuous, seasonal, annual, etc.

Discharge quality data: Data acquired through the completion of a laboratory analysis of treated wastewater effluent prior to obtaining permission to discharge. Relevant parameters for testing include: 5 day Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Suspended Solids, Fecal Coliforms, pH, Phenols, Oils & Greases, Phosphorus and Temperature.

Disinfectant: A disinfectant is a chemical (commonly chlorine, chloramines, or ozone) or physical process (e.g., ultraviolet light) that inactivates or kills microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. (INAC Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems)

Disinfection: A process that has as its objective destroying or inactivating pathogenic micro-organisms in water. (Government of Alberta, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, cited in Alberta Environment Glossary)

Disinfection By-products: Disinfection by-products are chemical, organic and inorganic substances that can form during a reaction of a disinfectant with naturally present organic or anthropogenic matter in the water. (Lenntech)

Distribution Classification > piped / trucked: Refers to the classification of the delivery of potable water leaving the water treatment plant. This can be either piped (via watermain) or trucked (via truck delivery to individual homes/cisterns). The level of classification involves the number of house connections (population served).

Domestic flows: All demands in the water system excluding fire flows.

Drinking Water: Water of sufficiently high quality that can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm.

Drinking Water Advisory (DWA): Drinking Water Advisories (DWAs) are preventive measures that are regularly issued in municipalities and communities across Canada; they protect public health from waterborne contaminants that can be present in drinking water. A DWA can be issued in any community and may include boil water advisories, do not consume advisories and do not use advisories. (INAC "Fact Sheet")

Effluent: 1. The liquid waste of municipalities/communities, industries, or agricultural operations. Usually the term refers to a treated liquid released from a wastewater treatment process. (Bow River) 2. The discharge from any on-site sewage treatment component. (Alberta Municipal Affairs; cited in Alberta Environment Glossary)

Effluent quality data: Any test results or monitoring data that describes the condition of treated wastewater effluent.

Effluent Quality Requirements: All effluents from wastewater systems in Canada must comply with all applicable federal legislation including the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the Fisheries Act, as well as any other applicable legislation, including provincial, depending on the geographical location of the system. In addition, all discharges from First Nations wastewater systems shall meet the quality requirements found in the Guidelines for Effluent Quality and Wastewater Treatment at Federal Establishments - EPS 1-EC-76-1 (1976 Guidelines).

For the purposes of determining effluent quality related to ammonia and chlorine, the Notice Requiring the Preparation and Implementation of Pollution Prevention Plans for Inorganic Chloramines and Chlorinated Wastewater Effluents and the Guideline for the Release of Ammonia Dissolved in Water Found in Wastewater Effluents contain additional and/or updated information to the requirements provided in the 1976 Guidelines.

A copy of the Guideline for the Release of Ammonia Dissolved in Water Found in Wastewater Effluents can be found at Environment Canada's website. (INAC Protocol for Centralised Wastewater Systems in First Nations Communities)

Effluent Receiver (also referred to as the receiving body; the receiving environment; the receiver) (see also Effluent and Component risks): The environment that receives treated wastewater, including lakes, rivers, wetlands, sub-surfaces, title fields, open marines, and enclosed bays. It may also refer to a community's method for dealing with wastewater (e.g. Municipal Type Agreements or evaporation).

Elevated Storage: A water tower, which is a reservoir or storage tank mounted on a tower-like structure at the summit of an area of high ground in a place where the water pressure would otherwise be inadequate for distribution at a uniform pressure. (Collins)

Emergency Response Plan (ERP): Emergency response plans for water and wastewater systems are intended to be a quick reference to assist operators and other stakeholders in managing and responding to emergency situations. They include key contact information for persons to be notified and for persons who may be of assistance (e.g. agencies, contractors, suppliers, etc.), as well as standard communication and response protocols. Emergency response plans identify recommended action for "foreseeable" emergencies, and provide methodologies for unforeseen situations.

Facultative Lagoon: The most common type of wastewater treatment lagoon used by small communities and individual households. Facultative lagoons rely on both aerobic and anaerobic decomposition of waste, can be adapted for use in most climates and require no machinery to treat wastewater.

Filter: A device used to remove solids from a mixture or to separate materials. Materials are frequently separated from water using filters. (Edwards Aquifier)

Filter train equipment: Includes all components that form part of the water filtration process from where the raw water enters the filter process to where the filtered water leaves the treatment unit. This does not refer to the disinfection equipment.

Filtration: The mechanical process which removes particulate matter by separating water from solid material, usually by passing it through sand. (Edwards Aquifier)

Fire pump tests: A monthly test for the basic operation and functionality of the fire pump.

Grade Level Storage: A treated water storage reservoir that is constructed at grade, typically with earth mounded on top to provide some frost protection.

GPS: Global Positioning System (GPS) -A navigational system involving satellites and computers that can determine the latitude and longitude of a receiver on Earth by computing the time difference for signals from different satellites to reach the receiver.

Groundwater: Groundwater is any water that is obtained from a subsurface water-bearing soil unit (called an aquifer). 1) Water that flows or seeps downward and saturates soil or rock, supplying springs and wells. The upper surface of the saturate zone is called the water table. 2) Water stored underground in rock crevices and in the pores of geologic materials that make up the Earth's crust. (INAC, Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems)

Groundwater, confined: Groundwater that is under pressure significantly greater than atmospheric, with its upper limit the bottom of a bed with hydraulic conductivity distinctly lower than that of the material in which the confined water occurs. (INAC, Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems)

Groundwater, unconfined: Water in an aquifer that has a water table that is exposed to the atmosphere. (INAC Protocol for Decentralised Water and Wastewater Systems)

Groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GUDI): This term refers to groundwater sources (e.g., wells, springs, infiltration galleries, etc.) where microbial pathogens are able to travel from nearby surface water to the groundwater source. (Government of Nova Scotia)

Guidelines: Guidelines as referred to in this Assessment include all federal and provincial water and wastewater guidelines for domestic potable water and household sanitary waste. These guidelines include the "Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality" and all its recommended health and aesthetic guidelines for water quality.

Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ): Water quality guidelines developed by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water and have been published by Health Canada since 1968.

Canadian drinking water supplies are generally of excellent quality. However, water in nature is never "pure." It picks up traces of everything it comes into contact with, including minerals, silt, vegetation, fertilizers, and agricultural run-off. While most of these substances are harmless, some may pose a health risk. To address this risk, Health Canada works with the provincial and territorial governments to develop guidelines that set out the maximum acceptable concentrations of these substances in drinking water. These drinking water guidelines are designed to protect the health of the most vulnerable members of society, such as children and the elderly. The guidelines set out the basic parameters that every water system should strive to achieve in order to provide the cleanest, safest and most reliable drinking water possible.

The Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality deal with microbiological, chemical and radiological contaminants. They also address concerns with physical and aesthetic characteristics of water, such as taste and odour. (Health Canada)

Guidelines for Effluent Quality and Wastewater Treatment at Federal Establishments, April 1976: The purpose of these guidelines is to indicate the degree of treatment and effluent quality that will be applicable to all wastewater discharged from existing and proposed Federal installations. Use of these guidelines is intended to promote a consistent wastewater approach towards the cleanup and prevention of water pollution and ensure that the best practicable control technologies used. (Government of Canada)

Highlift Pumping: Refers to pumps installed that provide treated water into the water distribution system at pressure; either directly or via water tower.

Hydrant Flushing (see line flushing and swabbing)

Influent: Water, wastewater, or other liquid flowing into a reservoir, basin or treatment plant. (Gowen)

Lagoon: A shallow pond where sunlight, bacterial action, and oxygen work to purify wastewater. Lagoons are typically used for the storage of wastewaters, sludges, liquid wastes, or spent nuclear fuel. (Edwards Aquifier)

Lagoon, aerated: See Aeration

Lagoon, facultative: See Facultative Lagoon.

L/c/d: Measurement of daily water usage as Litres per capita, per day.

Level of Service Standards (INAC): The Level of Service Standards (LOSS), determined on a national basis, are the levels of service that the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) is prepared to financially support to assist First Nations in providing community services comparable to the levels of service that would generally be available in non-native communities of similar size and circumstances.

The Level of Service Standards provide a description of criteria which will be used to establish the level of funding for safe, cost-effective, domestic water supply and wastewater disposal systems for on-reserve housing units and administrative, operative, institutional and recreational buildings. (INAC "Water and Sewage Systems")

Lift Station (also Pumping Station): A point in the sewer system where the wastewater needs to be pumped (lifted) to a higher elevation so that gravity can be used to bring the wastewater to the treatment plant. (Hailey City Hall Public Works)

Line flushing and swabbing (also referred to as watermain swabbing and flushing): Watermain swabbing entails inserting a soft material shaped like a bullet into the watermain through a fire hydrant. The diameter is slightly larger than the watermain and the bullet (swab) is pushed along the watermain by water pressure. As it passes through the watermain, the swab executes a scouring action on the sediment inside the watermain.

During watermain flushing, high velocity water flowing from hydrants is used to remove loose sediment from watermains. (City of Guelph)

L/p/d: Measurement of daily water usage as Litres per person, per day.

MAC (Maximum acceptable concentration): In the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ), Maximum Acceptable Concentrations (MACs) have been established for certain physical, chemical, radiological and microbiological parameters or substances that are known or suspected to cause adverse effects on health. For some parameters, Interim Maximum Acceptable Concentrations (IMACs) are also recommended in the guidelines.

Drinking water that continually has a substance at a greater concentration than the specified MACs will contribute significantly to consumer exposure to the substance and may, in some instances, produce harmful health effects. However, the short-term presence of substances above the MAC levels does not necessarily mean the water constitutes a risk to health. (INAC, National Assessment Summary Report)

Maintenance Management Plan (MMP): Maintenance management plans apply to both water and wastewater systems. They are intended to improve the effectiveness of maintenance activities and are focused on planning, scheduling, and documenting preventative maintenance activities and on documenting unscheduled maintenance.

Manganese: Manganese is a mineral that naturally occurs in rocks and soil and is a normal constituent of the human diet. In some places, it exists in well water as a naturally occurring groundwater mineral, but may also be present due to underground pollution sources. Manganese may become noticeable in tap water at concentrations greater than 0.05 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of water by imparting a colour, odour, or taste to the water. However, health effects from manganese are not a concern until concentrations are approximately 10 times higher. (Conneticut Dept. of Health)

Mechanical Plant/ Mechanical Treatment: Refers to any type of wastewater treatment plant including treatments systems consisting of rotating biological contactors (RBC), sequencing batch reactors (SBR), extended aeration (EA), etc. It does not include natural forms of wastewater treatment like lagoons or septic systems.

Metals Scan (Full): A full metal scan refers to what laboratories call Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis for the evaluation of trace metals in water samples. This test covers a complete scan of over 20 trace metals in a single analysis.

Municipal Type Agreement (MTA): The situation where First Nations are supplied with treated water from or send their wastewater to a nearby municipality, as outlined in a formal agreement between the two parties. The term is also used in this report to describe a system where the First Nation is supplied with treated water or wastewater treatment services by another First Nation or other independent body such as a corporate entity such as a Casino etc.

Multi-Barrier Approach: Approach used to ensure that drinking water is safe. In the past, the term ‘multi-barrier' referred only to the barriers involved in the actual treatment of raw water to provide quality drinking water. This approach has now been expanded to include a number of key elements that are an integral part of a drinking water program to ensure delivery of safe, secure supplies of drinking water. Barriers may be physical (eg: filter) or administrative (eg: planning) in nature. (Alberta Environment, Glossary & Alberta's Drinking Water Program)

None: Indicates that the treatment and/or distribution/collection system has not been classified.

O & M: Operation and Maintenance.

Operational Plan (OP): An Operational Plan is the primary instrument for communicating the Community's quality management system (QMS) from the public works departments (water and wastewater) to Chief and Council, and from Council to INAC, Health Canada and the community members.

Phosphorus: A non-metallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs widely especially as phosphates (Merriam-Webster). Phosphorus occurs naturally in rocks, soil, animal waste, plant material, and even the atmosphere. In addition to these natural sources, phosphorus comes from human activities such as agriculture, discharge of industrial and municipal waste, and surface water runoff from residential and urban areas. Nutrients held in soil can be dissolved in water and carried off by leaching, tile drainage or surface runoff.

Phosphorus does not pose a direct threat to human health; it is an essential component of all cells and is present in bones and teeth. It does, however, pose an indirect threat to both aesthetics and to human health by affecting source waters used for drinking and recreation. For example, excessive nutrients can promote the growth of algal blooms, which can contribute to a wide range of water quality problems by affecting the potability, taste, odour, and colour of the water. (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment)

Piped Distribution System: A water distribution system which relies on pipes to convey water through pumping or elevated storage to the end user. Different from trucked distribution in that a trucked distribution system delivers water to end users in batch quantities to individual holding tanks (cisterns).

Potable water: Potable water is water that is destined for human consumption. For the purposes of the Protocol for Centralised Drinking Water Systems in First Nations Communities, water destined for human consumption is water that is consumed directly as drinking water, water that is used in cooking, water that is used to wash food, and water that is used for bathing infants (individuals under 1 year in age). (INAC, Protocol for Centralised Drinking Water Systems in First Nations Communities)

PPU: People per unit. Measurement to describe housing density.

Primary Operator: The main operator of a water or wastewater system. The primary operator must be certified to the level of the treatment and distribution/collection system.

Primary Wastewater Treatment: Removal of particulate materials from domestic wastewater, usually done by allowing the solid materials to settle as a result of gravity. Typically, the first major stage of treatment encountered by domestic wastewater as it enters a treatment facility. Primary treatment plants generally remove 25 to 35 percent of the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and 45 to 65 percent of the total suspended matter. Also, any process used for the decomposition, stabilization, or disposal of sludges produced by settling. (North American Lake Management Society; cited in Alberta Environment Glossary)

Protocol for Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities: Standards for design, construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of drinking water systems and is intended for use by First Nations staff responsible for water systems. It is also intended for use by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) staff, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) for INAC staff, and all others involved in providing advice or assistance to First Nations in the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of their drinking water systems in their communities, in accordance with established federal or provincial standards, whichever are the most stringent.

Any water system that produces drinking water destined for human consumption, that is funded in whole or in part by INAC, and that serves five or more households or a public facility, must comply with the requirements of this protocol. (INACProtocol)

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC): A quality management system that focuses on fulfilling quality requirements and providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled.

Reporting Risk: The Reporting risk level is the risk inherent with the operational method of recording data and providing the required reports. This would include both manual and automatic methods of record keeping. The reporting risk ranking is based on the adequacy of the operational records and the number of reports submitted during the year compared to the total number of records and reports required according to the appropriate legislation, standards, and operation procedures of the system in question.

Reservoir: A man-made lake that collects and stores water for future use. During periods of low river flow, reservoirs can release additional flow if water is available. (Government of Alberta, Water for Life, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Reservoir Cleaning: This involves the pump-down, clean-out, removal of settled material, disinfection and refill of a water storage reservoir. This activity requires confined space entry equipment and training.

Retrofit: 1. To furnish with new or modified parts or equipment not available or considered necessary at the time of manufacture; 2. To install (new or modified parts or equipment) in something previously manufactured or constructed; 3. To adapt to a new purpose or need: modify. (Merriam-Webster)

Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC): A technology used to treat wastewater classified as mechanical treatment.

Risk (Management Risk Level/Management Risk Score): Risk is defined in INAC's Management Risk Level Evaluation Guidelines for Water and Wastewater Systems in First Nations Communities (Revised 2010). These guidelines follow the Multi-Barrier Approach for water management. This approach, developed by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Water Quality Task Group, is intended to prevent the presence of water-borne contaminants in drinking water by ensuring effective safeguards are in place at each stage of a drinking water system.

Following that approach, INAC assesses five main components of a system to determine an overall system management risk score:

• Source Water (drinking water systems) or Effluent Receiver (wastewater systems)
• System Design
• Operation and Maintenance
• Records and Reporting
• Operator Training and Experience

Each of these components is assigned a risk score, which are then weighed to determine the overall management risk score of a system. The resulting score will then result in the management of the system as being classified as either high risk, medium risk, or low risk.

-High Risk: Major deficiencies in most of the components. Should a problem arise, the system and management as a whole is unlikely to be able to compensate, thus there is a high probability that any problem could result in unsafe water. Issues should be addressed as soon as possible.

-Medium Risk: Minor deficiencies in several components, or major deficiencies in one or two components. Should a problem arise, the system and management can probably compensate for the problem, but the noted deficiencies makes this uncertain, thus there is a medium probability that any problem could result in unsafe water. Issues need to be addressed.

-Low Risk: Minor or no deficiencies with the system or management. Should a problem occur, it is likely that the system and management as a whole will be able to compensate and continue to provide safe water while the issue is being resolved.

It is important to distinguish between INAC's system management risk level and drinking water quality. The actual quality of the water produced by a system is but one part of determining the overall system management risk level.

Unsafe drinking water is noted through the implementation of Drinking Water Advisories (DWA), not by the management risk level of the system. DWA come in multiple forms, the most common being the boil water advisory.

A system with a high-risk ranking under INAC's management evaluation is, because of its multiple deficiencies, likely to be unable to cope with problems that may occur in the system that result in a DWA. This means that DWA are likely to occur more frequently and to have a longer-term duration on a high-risk system. On the other hand, while problems can and do occur in low-risk systems, because of better overall risk management, these systems are more likely to address the problem in the short term, resulting in the rapid removal of problems and DWA.

This means that a high-risk drinking system can still produce perfectly safe and potable water. Deficiencies should be addressed as quickly as possible, however, before any issues arise with the water quality. (INAC, Management Risk Level Evaluation Guidelines)

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system: Refers to a control and/or computer system that can monitor, record and control infrastructure, or facility-based processes.

Screened reservoir vents: Reservoir vents should be screened to allow air movement and to prevent vermin from entering.

Seasonal discharge: Discharge of wastewater at times of maximum or substantial stream flow. This may vary from location to location.

Secondary containment for treatment chemicals: Secondary containment is required for the storage of all regulated hazardous materials. Secondary containment must be constructed using materials capable of containing a spill or leak for at least as long as the period between monitoring inspections. A means of providing overfill protection for any primary container may be required. This may be an overfill prevention device and/or an attention getting high level alarm. Materials that in combination may cause a fire or explosion, the production of a flammable, toxic, poisonous gas, or the deterioration of a primary or secondary container will be separated in both the primary and secondary treatment containment so as to avoid intermixing.

Secondary Treatment: involving the biological process of reducing suspended, colloidal, and dissolved organic/inorganic matter in effluent from primary treatment systems and which generally removes 80 to 95 percent of the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and suspended matter. Secondary wastewater treatment may be accomplished by biological or chemical-physical methods. Activated sludge and trickling filters are two of the most common means of secondary treatment. (North American Lake Management Society, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Septic tank: A tank used to detain domestic wastes to allow the settling of solids prior to distribution to a leach field for soil absorption. Septic tanks are used when a piped wastewater collection system is not available to carry them to a treatment plant. A settling tank in which settled sludge is in immediate contact with sewage flowing through the tank, and wherein solids are decomposed by anaerobic bacterial action. (INAC Protocol for Centralised Wastewater)

Septic system: A combination of underground pipe(s) and holding tank(s) which are used to hold, decompose, and clean wastewater for subsurface disposal. (Bow River, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR): A treatment technology used to treat wastewater classified as mechanical treatment.

Sewage treatment plant (STP) (also known as Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) or Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP)): Facility designed to treat wastewater (sewage) by removing materials that may damage water quality and threaten public health. (Ontario Ministry of Environment)

Sewage treatment systems: Facility or system designed to treat wastewater (sewage) by removing materials that may damage water quality and threaten public health. (Ontario Ministry of Environment)

Shoot-out: A septic system consisting of a septic tank with untreated wastewater effluent being discharged to the surface; this poses a health risk.

Sludge: The accumulated wet or dry solids that are separated from wastewater during treatment. This includes precipitates resulting from the chemical or biological treatment of wastewater. (Government of Alberta, Activities, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Source Classification: The determination of the water source classification in this assessment includes the options of: surface water, groundwater, GUDI or MTA. Surface water includes water from lakes or rivers; groundwater includes any well water that is not influenced by surface water infiltration; GUDI is any groundwater source under the direct influence of surface water; MTA as a source refers to the community acquiring the treated water from a municipality.

Source risk: The risk inherent in the quality and quantity of the raw source water prior to treatment.

Source Water Protection: 1. The prevention of pollution of the lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams, and groundwater that serve as sources of drinking water. Wellhead protection would be an example of a source water protection approach that protects groundwater sources, whereas management of land around a lake or reservoir used for drinking water would be an example for surface water supplies. Source water protection programs typically include: delineating source water protection areas; identifying sources of contamination; implementing measures to manage these changes; and planning for the future. (North American Lake Management Society, cited in Alberta Glossary)

2. Action taken to control or minimize the potential for introduction of chemicals or contaminants in source waters, including water used as a source of drinking water (Alberta Environment, Standards and Guidelines, cited in Alberta Glossary).

SPS: An abbreviation of the term sewage pumping station.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): An SOP is a written document or instruction detailing all steps and activities of a process or procedure. This would include all procedures used in water/wastewater treatment processes that could affect the quality.

Standpipe Storage: An above-grade storage facility where the storage volume is contained within the entirety of the structure. This type of storage is most feasible for use where there is sufficient change in the topography to allow for maximum usable volume in the standpipe.

Storage Type: Refers to whether the community water storage is via grade-level, below-grade or elevated storage (including standpipes and towers). In some cases there is no storage thus the storage type would be considered "direct pump."

Surface water: Surface water is any water that is obtained from sources, such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs that are open to the atmosphere. (INAC, Protocol for Centralised Drinking Water)

System Designer: A system designer is a person, such as a professional engineer, who is qualified to design a water or wastewater systems. (INAC, Protocol for Centralised Drinking Water)

System Operator: A system operator is a First Nation employee or third party under contract to a First Nation who is tasked with managing a water or wastewater system. (INAC, Protocol for Centralised Drinking Water)

System Manager: A system manager is a First Nation employee or third party under contract to a First Nation who is tasked with managing a water or wastewater system. (INAC, Protocol for Centralised Drinking Water)

Tertiary Treatment: Selected biological, physical, and chemical separation processes to remove organic and inorganic substances that resist conventional treatment practices. Tertiary Treatment processes may consist of flocculation basins, clarifiers, filters, and chlorine basins or ozone or ultraviolet radiation processes. Tertiary techniques may also involve the application of wastewater to land to allow the growth of plants to remove plant nutrients. Can include advanced nutrient removal processes. (North American Lake Management Society, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Trihalomethanes (THMs): Chemical compounds that can be formed when water is disinfected using chlorine or bromine as the chemical disinfection agent. These chemical compounds are formed when organic material present in the raw source water reacts with chlorine or bromine. Therefore, THMs are classified as disinfection by-products (DBPs). The primary source of organic material comes from decaying vegetation found in lakes, rivers and streams and for this reason, THMs are more commonly observed in water systems that use a surface water source. The four chemical compounds that are measured and used to calculate total THMs are: chloroform, bromoform, bromodichloromethane (BDCM) and chlorodibromomethane (CDBM). THMs are a concern in potable water because there is scientific evidence that they may pose a risk in the development of cancer.

Treatment Certification: The treatment level to which an operator is certified for water treatment and distribution and wastewater treatment and collection systems (see Treatment Classification).

Treatment Classification: The size (flow) and complexity of a water or wastewater system is used to determine the Class of a system using a point template. The knowledge and experience it takes to operate a system is closely related to its classification and is reflected in the level of certification of the operator. Systems that are small and relatively simple, are classified as Small Water or Wastewater Systems. Larger or more complex systems are ranked as Class I, II, III, and IV with the highest being Class IV. Systems should be operated under the supervision of an operator certified to at least the same level of the facility.

TSS (Total Suspended Solids): Measure of the amount of non-dissolved solid material present in water or wastewater. Total suspended solids (TSS) can cause: a) interference with light penetration (in UV applications), b) build-up of sediment and c) can carry nutrients and other toxic pollutants that cause algal blooms and potential reduction in aquatic habitat (wastewater).

Underground Storage: A water storage facility (reservoir/clearwell) which is located 100% below-grade. Often located below the water treatment plant.

Waste: Any solid or liquid material, product, or combination of them that is intended to be treated or disposed of or that is intended to be stored and then treated or disposed. This does not include recyclables. (Government of Alberta, Activities Designation Regulation, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Waste management plan: A Waste Management Plan identifies and describes types of waste generated during operations and how they are managed and disposed of.

Wastewater (Industrial Wastewater, Domestic Wastewater): A combination of liquid and water-carried pollutants from homes, businesses, industries, or farms; a mixture of water and dissolved or suspended solids. (North American Lake Management Society, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Wastewater System: an organized process and associated structures for collecting, treating, and disposing of wastewater. For the purposes of this report, it is a system serving five or more houses. It includes any or all of the following:

1. Sewers and pumping stations that make up a wastewater collection system.
2. Sewers and pumping stations that transport untreated wastewater from a wastewater collection system to a wastewater treatment plant.
3. Wastewater treatment plants.
4. Facilities that provide storage for treated wastewater.
5. Wastewater sludge treatment and disposal facilities.
6. Sewers that transport treated wastewater from a wastewater treatment plant to the place where it is disposed of.
7. Treated wastewater outfall facilities, including the outfall structures to a watercourse or any structures for disposal of treated wastewater to land or to wetlands. (Government of Alberta, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Wastewater Treatment: Any of the mechanical, chemical or biological processes used to modify the quality of wastewater (sewage) in order to make it more compatible or acceptable to man and his/her environment. (North American Lake Management System, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Wastewater Treatment Plant: Any structure, thing, or process used for the physical, chemical, biological, or radiological treatment of wastewater before it is returned to the environment. The term also includes any structure, thing, or process used for wastewater storage or disposal, or sludge treatment, storage, or disposal. (Government of Alberta, Activities, cited in Alberta Glossary)

Watermain: A principal pipe in a system of pipes for conveying water, especially one installed underground. (American Heritage Dictionary)

Water quality: The term used to describe the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water, usually with respect to its suitability for a particular purpose. (INAC, Protocol for Centralised Drinking Water)

Water use: The term water use refers to water that is used for a specific purpose, such as for domestic use, irrigation, or industrial processing. Water use pertains to human interaction with and influence on the hydrolic cycle, and includes elements, such as water withdrawal from surface- and ground-water sources, water delivery to homes and businesses, consumptive use of water, water released from wastewater-treatment plans, water returned to the environment, and in-stream uses, such as using water to produce hydroelectric power. (INAC, Protocol for Centralised Drinking Water)

Water Well: An opening in the ground, whether drilled or altered from its natural state, that is used for the production of groundwater, obtaining data on groundwater, or recharging an underground formation from which groundwater can be recovered. By definition in the provincial Water Act, a water well also includes any related equipment, buildings, and structures. (Government of Alberta, Water for Life, cited in Alberta, Glossary)

Wellhead Protection Area: A protected surface and subsurface zone surrounding a well or well field supplying a public water system to keep contaminants from reaching the well water. (Edwards Aquifier)

Wellhead Protection Plan: A wellhead protection plan defines the wellhead protection area, identifies potential sources of contamination, manages the potential contaminant sources including properly decommissioning abandoned wells, identifies emergency and contingency plans (i.e. what to do if the well becomes contaminated or requires additional capacity) and provides overall public awareness.

Appendix B Water System Summary

Appendix C Site Visit Methodology

Appendix D First Nation Water Summaries

Appendix D First Nation Water Summaries (continued)

Appendix D First Nation Water Summaries (continued)