Attempting to Understand Why Canadian Drinking Water Advisories Are Still in Place: A Statistical Analysis of Indigenous Communities Under Long-Term Drinking Water Advisories

Drinking water advisories (DWAs) continue to be an issue for many Canadian Indigenous communities. An audit was done in 2011 that found variables that could cause an advisory; however, a lack of quality drinking water still persists. In 2016, the Trudeau Government attempted to bring 166 long-term DWAs (LT-DWAs) to an end. While many successes were reported, too many DWAs still remain. This research builds upon the 2011 audit and provides new variables not previously identified. A quantitative analysis was conducted using data on LTDWA communities from government databases and Indigenous websites. This list consisted of analyzing 20 communities that have the oldest LT-DWA to date and 20 earliest communities to come off a LT-DWA. From analysis, three variables were key to communities remaining under a LT-DWA: I) large gender ratio gaps, II) the investment amount, and III) the amount of workers traveling outside their census.