Indigenous Water Operators Share Experiences & Challenges Faced by Local Communities

On National Indigenous Water Operator Day, Wednesday, March 19 2025, CEE hosted Indigenous Water Operators from Water Movement for a panel discussion.

Hosted by the Carleton Global Water Institute, the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Water Movement, this discussion brought together Indigenous water operators to share their experiences, challenges, and successes in ensuring clean drinking water for their communities.

Water is life, yet many Indigenous communities in Canada continue to face ongoing challenges in accessing safe drinking water. Josée Street (Martin Clan, ON) and Rod Badger (Sucker Creek First Nation, AB)—two experienced Indigenous water operators—shared their frontline perspectives on water management and discussed how engineers, students, and policymakers can contribute to meaningful solutions.

Many of our department’s Environmental Engineering Program students and professors were in attendance. We are grateful for these perspectives and hope for better clean drinking water systems that address the communal and cultural needs of Indigenous communities in Turtle Island.