In 2001 a similar outbreak in North Battleford, Saskatchewan caused by the protozoan Cryptosporidium affected at least 5,800 people.

[7][8] Since 1977, successive federal governments failed to resolve the water and sanitation infrastructure problems on First Nations reserves in Canada, and the water on many reserves was "contaminated, hard to access, or at risk due to faulty treatment systems", according to a June 2016 Human Rights Watch (HRW) report.

[8]: 4 [9][10] According to the Human Rights Watch, First Nations reserves in Canada were found to have water contaminations that included coliform, E. coli, Trihalomethane, and uranium, which may cause gastrointestinal diseases or increased risks for cancer.

[15] In 2005, Phil Fontaine, then-chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said that over 100 aboriginal communities in Canada were living under permanent long-term boil-water advisories.

[8]: 13  An arbitrary cap from 1996 though 2015—limited the annual increase on the budget of the federal department that funds and regulates water and sanitation infrastructure on reserves—to 2% "regardless of population growth, inflation, or need.

"[8]: 13  The funding constraints prevented necessary improvements "water supplied to many First Nations communities on lands known as reserves is contaminated, hard to access, or at risk due to faulty treatment systems".

[8]: 4 Following the 2015 Canadian federal election additional funds were allocated to remove the long-term drinking water advisories (DWA)s over the next five years.

Fifteen percent of inland communities undertake only primary level waste water treatment.

Flows in the South Saskatchewan are fully allocated and predictions of glacial retreat and reduced winter snow coverage due to global warming may significantly impact a river system that relies on glacial and snow melt for most of its summer flows.

This water is then treated in seven plants with a daily capacity of 2,917,000 m³ for 1.8 million residents and industries, businesses and institutions.

The river receives untreated liquid waste from metropolitan Montreal and the newly developed suburbs by way of over 150 discharge outlets.

Whenever there is significant rainfall on the island of Montreal, household sewage is mixed with the city street rainwater and discharged untreated into the river.

[28][29] The Rivière des Prairies used to receive massive discharges of untreated waste water from the city, turning it into essentially an open sewer; however, ecological intervention and modern waste water treatment mostly reversed the damage and the river is often considered clean by the RSMA(Réseau de suivi du milieu aquatique), and suitable for swimming.

The Britannia Water Treatment Plant was included amongst other architecturally interesting and historically significant buildings in Doors Open Ottawa, held June 2 and 3, 2012.

Almost 600 square kilometers of mountainous land is closed to public access to protect the large reservoirs which collect rain and snow melt.

[35] The regional district's long-standing closed watershed policy is one component of a water supply system that provides multiple barriers to contamination, from source to tap.

The drinking water guidelines are designed to protect the health of the most vulnerable members of society, such as children and the elderly.

[46] While the responsibility for the provision of water supply and sanitation services in Canada lies with municipalities, the provincial governments and the federal government also have important responsibilities related to the setting of standards, research, economic regulation and water resources management.

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment - which consists of the 14 environment ministers from the federal, provincial and territorial governments - plays an important role in the development of national strategies, norms and guidelines for water supply and sanitation.

The need and the difficulty to collaborate between different levels of government is apparent in the discussion of a proposed national municipal wastewater effluents strategy.

According to the Canadian Water and Waste Water Association "Canada faces a variety of provincial and territorial approaches (to wastewater and biosolids) that are not consistent with federal legislation, and we have no structure to have a rational science-based discussion of the policies and regulatory requirements that would enable us to identify and promote the beneficial use of these environmental resources."T.

The provinces and territories are responsible for developing and enforcing all legislation pertaining to municipal and public water supplies including their construction and operation.

[49] Under the Constitution Act, 1867, the provinces are "owners" of the water resources and have wide responsibilities in their day-to-day management.

These include about 2,500 municipally owned water and sewer utilities in urban areas and approximately 6,500 small privately owned and operated systems providing public services in or at trailer parks and recreational facilities such as camp grounds, golf courses and ski facilities, etc.

This value has increased substantially in recent years from about 82 cents per 1000 liters in 1991, and nationally, now includes a waste treatment component of about 39%.

To implement this concept in federal policies, programs and initiatives, the federal government has committed, among other things, to endorse the concept of realistic pricing as a direct means of controlling demand and generating revenues to cover costs.

The difference is made up from general municipal revenues (e.g., property taxes or subsidies from senior levels of government).

[54] The greatest portion of investment in water and sanitation infrastructure and services has been financed by municipal governments from revenues derived from general property taxes or from water and sanitation charges which are increasingly moving to the state of full cost pricing.

The federal contribution, while significant in absolute terms (for example, in the period 1993 to 1998 the amount was in excess of US$1.4 billion), represents only a small proportion of total public investments in municipal infrastructure.

Matching grants provide a certain percentage of financing that varies among Provinces and programs, while requiring the balance to be paid by the municipality.