Wastewater Management in Nunavut: Public Health Concerns and Canadian Sanitation Inequities

Abstract

Wastewater management is difficult and expensive at the best of times but is particularly challenging under harsh Arctic conditions. In Nunavut, wastewater is treated via waste stabilisation ponds because of their relatively low capital and operational costs, and minimal complexity. However, there are inefficiencies in the removal of pathogens relating to the extremely cold temperatures which limit the biological processes of wastewater treatment. As a result, serious public health risks are associated with the human exposure to untreated wastewater. This is particularly true for Indigenous populations that rely on traditional diets for sustenance. Engineering alone will not properly address the issue of wastewater management in Nunavut as Indigenous populations are chronically overlooked in Canadian public policy. Three aspects of Canadian legislation will be discussed in this paper that are imperative for the long-term fight for equality of water and sanitation.