Northwest Territories unveils 10-year summary report on community-based water quality monitoring

Press Release

May 21, 2025

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released the Community-Based Water Quality Monitoring (CBM) 10-Year Summary Report. This report provides a comprehensive overview of over a decade’s worth of data and insights into Northwest Territories’ (NWT) water quality.

A collaborative effort between governments, community stakeholders, and environmental experts, the report summarizes scientific findings, making water quality results accessible to residents and policymakers.

Key highlights include:

Community engagement: Active community involvement in the CBM program has been fundamental to its success.
Program performance: The program has been effective in supporting communities to lead water monitoring and generate meaningful results.
Water quality insights: The report shows that the quality of water needed for a thriving ecosystem in the NWT remains high.

The GNWT remains committed to collaborating with community members to monitor and understand water quality at locations that matter to communities determined by local and Indigenous knowledge.

Quote

“Water quality monitoring is a key activity that involves many hands from many communities. I applaud the dedication from so many people from the communities, caring about one of NWT’s most precious and vast resources.”

– Jay Macdonald, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

The Community-Based Water Monitoring Program is undertaken by community members who visit 63 sampling sites around 21 communities.
We build strong relationships and work closely with Guardians, Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations and land-users to learn about concerns or needs – and target sampling there.