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It is well known that watershed-based source water protection programs are integral to the provision of clean drinking water. However, the involvement of Indigenous communities in these programs is very limited in Canada, which has contributed to the vulnerability of Indigenous source waters to contamination. Through a partnership with an Anishinaabe community, this research aimed to identify challenges and opportunities for communities and practitioners to improve the protection of Indigenous source waters in the province of Ontario. The methodology followed the Indigenous research principles of relationship, respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility. Interviews and a youth focus group were conducted with Indigenous community members and practitioners from industry, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and government. Analysis was conducted using an iterative process to develop codes and themes in the qualitative data analysis software NVivo. Results indicated that issues with scale, jurisdiction, the concept of source water protection, representation, funding, and capacity impact efforts to protect Indigenous source waters. Hopeful recent developments and upcoming opportunities were identified, and a water protection framework for First Nation communities in Ontario was developed in partnership with an Anishinaabe water protection committee. Recommendations are provided to multiple sectors for moving forward respectfully, and effectively, towards the protection of Indigenous waters.

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Septic systems are a common contributor of contaminants to groundwater that have implications for source water protection, particularly in fractured sedimentary bedrock environments. Two 24-h tracer experiments were performed that applied (1) the dye Lissamine Flavine FF and (2) three artificial sweeteners (acesulfame, sucralose, and cyclamate) in the leaching bed to examine solute transport from a single-family septic bed to a multilevel monitoring well installed in fractured sedimentary bedrock on a First Nation reserve in Southern Ontario, Canada. Tracer was first observed 3 h and 20 min after deployment, and breakthrough curves showed that multiple pathways likely exist between the septic bed and the monitoring well. Cyclamate concentrations were more elevated than expected compared to other studies that examined cyclamate’s attenuation in the laboratory and in porous media aquifers. Solute transport through the septic bed was analyzed with the numerical modeling software Hydrus 1D, which indicated that the septic bed may be too thin, located directly on bedrock, underlain by fractured soils, or bypassed through a short-circuit. The rapid transport of septic leachate to fractured sedimentary aquifers is problematic for First Nation and rural communities. More stringent regulations are needed for the design and use of septic systems in these environments.