Design and hydrologic performance estimation of highway filter drains using a novel analytical probabilistic model.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are nature-based methods of managing urban stormwater runoff. Although they are widely used, some SuDS, such as highway filter drains (HFDs), are understudied with respect to sizing and performance. For the first time, we developed an analytical probabilistic model (APM) that can be used to design and estimate the hydrologic performance of HFDs. Unlike the conventionally used design-storm based or continuous simulation approaches, our APM can directly calculate the runoff capture ratios of HFDs using closed-form analytical equations. Validation of the APM presented here shows that it is robust and reliable. The relative differences between the APM-estimated and continuous simulation-determined runoff capture ratios for all the simulated design cases are less than 8.5%.

Biological Filtration is Resilient to Wildfire Ash-Associated Organic Carbon Threats to Drinking Water Treatment.

Elevated/altered levels of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in water can be challenging to treat after wildfire. Biologically mediated treatment removes some DOM; here, its ability to remove elevated/altered postfire dissolved organic carbon (DOC) resulting from wildfire ash was investigated for the first time. Treatment of wildfire ash-amended (low, moderate, high) source waters by bench-scale biofilters was evaluated in duplicate. Turbidity and DOC were typically well-removed (effluent turbidity ≤0.3 NTU; average DOC removal ∼20%) in all biofilters during periods of stable source water quality. Daily DOC removal across all biofilters (ash-amended and controls) was generally consistent, suggesting that (i) the biofilter DOC biodegradation capacity was not deleteriously impacted by the ash and (ii) the biofilters buffered the ash-associated increases in water extractable organic matter. DOM fractionation indicates this was because the biodegradable low molecular weight neutral fractions of DOM, which increased with ash addition, were reduced by biofiltration while humic substances were largely recalcitrant. Thus, biological filtration was resilient to wildfire ash-associated DOM threats to drinking water treatment, but operational resilience may be compromised if the balance between readily removed and recalcitrant fractions of DOM change, as was observed during brief periods herein.

"Is there anything good about a water advisory?": an exploration of the consequences of drinking water advisories in an indigenous community.

BACKGROUND: In Ontario, Canada, Indigenous communities experience some of the province's worst drinking water, with issues ranging from deteriorating water quality to regulatory problems and lack of support. When water is known, or suspected, to be unsafe for human consumption, communities are placed under a Drinking Water Advisory. Between 2004 and 2013, approximately 70% of all on-reserve communities in Ontario were under at least one Drinking Water Advisory. Despite the widespread impact of Drinking Water Advisories on health and wellbeing, little is known about First Nation individuals' perceptions and experiences living with a Drinking Water Advisory. This study presents information shared by members of a community who have lived with Boil Water Advisories on and off for many years, and a long-term Boil Water Advisory since 2017. The goal of this paper is to unpack and explore the Boil Water Advisories from the perspective of community members and provide considerations for current and future Boil Water Advisory management. METHODS: Methodological choices were driven by the principles of community-based participatory research. Two data collection methodologies were employed: hard copy surveys and interviews. RESULTS: Forty-four individuals (19.5%) completed a survey. Eight Elders and 16 key informants participated in 20 interviews. Respondents expressed varying degrees of uncertainty regarding protective actions to take while under a Boil Water Advisory. Further, 79% of men but only 46% of women indicated they always adhere to the Boil Water Advisory. Knowledge gaps that could lead to risky behaviours were also identified. Finally, Boil Water Advisories were demonstrated to have physical, financial, and time impacts on the majority of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: A direct outcome was the identification of a critical need to reinforce best practices for health protection through community education and outreach. More broadly, Chief and Council were able to use the findings to successfully advocate for improved drinking water for the community. Additionally, benefits of participatory research and community ownership include enhanced local research capacity, and increased awareness of, and desire for, research to inform decisions.

Critical elements for local Indigenous water security in Canada: a narrative review.

Indigenous communities in Canada are over-represented with respect to poor water quality and water advisories. To date, approaches to solve this water crisis have been founded in the Western Science (WS) context with little to no consultation or dialogue with those communities most impacted, and without regard for culture. A literature review was undertaken to: (i) document Indigenous Knowledge (IK), and perspectives regarding water and (ii) to identify current local water security tools utilized by Indigenous communities. The aim is to provide sound evidence regarding the value of ownership and leadership by Indigenous communities in the context of current and appropriate resources available to (re)claim these roles. Solutions must remain consistent with, and founded upon, traditional Indigenous worldviews and cultural values to ensure sustainable water security. Literature reviewed from the past ten years revealed one overarching creation theme with three water-specific themes in Indigenous communities; namely, water from natural sources, water as a life-giving entity, and water and gender. Ultimately, there needs to be a new framing of local water security with the development of tools which engage IK and WS in order to assess local water security and appropriately inform interventions, policies, regulations and legislation.