Indigenous people require fit-for-purpose groundwater-surface water data to help First Nations strengthen the federal legislation governing the requirements of safe drinking water for First Nations On-Reserve. Prior to the 2009-2011 National Assessment of First Nations Water and Wastewater Systems, there was no nationally representative data on First Nations On Reserve groundwater geoscience. Currently, this rudimentary baseline report suggests that 158 water systems serve 115 Ontario First Nations. Within this, there are 94 surface water systems, 39 groundwater systems and 13 groundwater-under-the-direct-influence-of-surface-water systems. Ironically, the application of Province of Ontario regulations (such as the Provincial Policy Statement) to Reserve lands are viewed as best practice. Federal government water system policy and practice is not regulated and enforced. Rather, it is also viewed as best practice. This fragmented jurisdiction issue has direct implications to First Nations (FN) On-Reserve who rely on informal water management systems. Against this backdrop, FN must compete for special project, private or charitable funding sources to generate the science required to protect their drinking water sources. This study has a twofold intent: a) determine how publically funded geoscience providers could meet the groundwater geoscience information needs of 27 First Nations (FN) in Ontario Source Protection Regions; and, b) work with FN stakeholders to refine direction for future funding decisions that may protect raw water sources from threats to water and wastewater systems. Methods used included secondary data analysis, interviews with stakeholders (email, telephone and face to face) and focus groups, case study of water security service delivery review, and review of academic articles and primary documents (FN task forces, workshop and symposium reports). Factors examined included: Five different schools of thought around Ontario source water protection (SWP) planning; the competition and concentration trends within the Southern Ontario source water protection plan (SWP) industry. Progressively deepening communication gaps between well funded geoscience providers and Ontario First Nations South of 60 (who have pressing SWP geoscience information needs that are unique to First Nations On-Reserve rather than urban Canadians. Currently - 74 First Nations' On-Reserve live with boil advisory alert, and 7 First Nations live with do not drink advisories). Unfortunately First Nations On-Reserve within Ontario Source Protection Regions have not been working closely with geoscience providers (i.e. 36 Regional Conservation Authorities mandated to develop watershed SWP in 19 Source Protection Regions). This preliminary report provides some direction for future groundwater/source water research, education and outreach with Indigenous people in Canada. According to our project First Nations' On-Reserve Source Water Protection in Ontario Source Protection Regions there is an emerging need for geoscientists to: a) work with Indigenous technical services; b) to speak and understand an Indigenous language; and c) to grow the Indigenous capacity to interpret and apply aquifer-groundwater-surface water data. Encouraging Indigenous people's participation in groundwater geoscience is an opportunity that federal, provincial and municipal institutions should grasp. Building such efforts may provide 27 First Nations in Ontario Source Protection Regions with future On-Reserve-context-specific aquifer-groundwater-surface water data integration and risk analysis.

This study asks the important question What is happening in the digital world of groundwater geoscience? This is the first systematic, interdisciplinary study investigating how the Internet is enabling the uptake of geoscience information in Southern Ontario groundwater risk management decisionmaking. It follows on three earlier projects: 1) Groundwater Resources and Risks in Canada - presented at the 2016 Annual meeting of the Geological Association of Canada/ Mineralogical Association of Canada. 2) Canadian Hazard Risk Land Use Plans - presented at the 2016 World Conference on Disaster Management Research. 3) Desktop research completed for the Ontario Geological Survey 2016 Ontario Geohazards Program Framework (Reviewed: 22 international principles, guidelines and standards; 35 Reports and Statements on Open Data Interconnectivity; and 21 Canadian Provincial Geoscience Provider's Geohazards Programs and Projects). Our research identifies that the Internet is a resource available to an increasing number of Southern Ontario citizens. However, a lack of groundwater information seeking research in the Southern Ontario context means that the potential of the Internet as a source of geoscience-based aquifer hazard risk information for land use planning may not be fully understood. The purpose of this project is to build civil society's capacity and capability in geoscience based hazard risk identification and management. This project is being completed in collaboration with the University of Waterloo, the National Research Council, Health Canada, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and Defence Research and Development Canada. It seeks to develop a concept map for the digital delivery of groundwater geoscience, detailing how to innovate with information and communication technology (ICT) to engage communities in geoscience-based aquifer hazard risk assessments. In this presentation, we present preliminary research results: A critical review of user access to online Southern Ontario groundwater geoscience studies (2006 to 2016). Completed through linking the information science literature with the post Walkerton Inquiry policy changes to determine if these websites profile the potential of the Internet as a source of geoscience-based aquifer hazard risk information. Our community engagement concept map for the digital delivery of groundwater geoscience, developed for the purpose of building capacity in community focused aquifer hazard risk assessments. New questions raised for further study on stakeholders seeking ICT options for groundwater geoscience research, practice, and uptake. Emphasising that such questions may have implications for future research and practice in groundwater geoscience, especially in the subfields of: 1. New groundwater resource exploration economic cost and benefit analysis 2. Community based groundwater geoscience education and outreach capacity building activities 3. Location specific indicators for community based groundwater hazard risk assessments (i.e. carbonate fissures and conduits, geochemical anomalies and some anthropogenic activities).