An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands
Sponsor: Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services (Thunder Bay—Superior North)
Proposed changes
On 11 December 2023, the Minister of Indigenous Services introduced Bill C-61, An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands (First Nations Clean Water Act), and it was given first reading.
Bill C-61 affirms that the inherent right to self-government, recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, includes the jurisdiction of First Nations in relation to water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on, in and under First Nation lands. It sets out principles, such as substantive equality, to guide the provision for First Nations of clean and safe drinking water and the effective treatment and disposal of wastewater on First Nation lands. It provides for minimum standards for water quality and quantity and wastewater effluent. It also provides pathways to facilitate source water protection.