News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The provincial government has released a progress report on A Water Strategy for New Brunswick 2018-2028, detailing many accomplishments over the past three years.

The water strategy was released in December 2017 after a two-year collaborative effort involving government departments and other partners. Its purpose was to ensure New Brunswick’s water quality is not only protected but managed in a sustainable way for future generations.

“Our progress report clearly shows how dedicated we are to protecting the water in this province,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Gary Crossman. “We have completed many actions in the water strategy and will continue to fulfil those commitments.”

The report is divided into five sections: understanding and sharing knowledge about water, protecting drinking water, preserving and enhancing aquatic ecosystems, working co-operatively on water protection and management, and publicly reporting implementation of the strategy.

Some of the progress to date includes:

• Implementation of a recreational water monitoring program at provincial park beaches.

• A report on the state of water quality in New Brunswick’s lakes and rivers.

• The Shediac Bay Watershed Management Plan.

• New, more accurate wetland mapping.

• New guidelines to help ensure consistent decision-making and transparency in wetland protection.

• Three new online water quality data portals to make information more accessible.

• A comprehensive report on drinking water quality in public water systems owned by local governments.

“More than $7 million from the Environmental Trust Fund has supported watershed groups, universities and other partners on projects related to freshwater management,” said Crossman. “There has also been a lot of work on cyanobacteria, with more than $550,000 from the fund going to projects related to detection, education and awareness, tracking and risk mitigation.”