New Brunswick needs to better protect clean drinking water, residents say

The New Brunswick flag flies in front of the legislative assembly building, home of the provincial parliament, in Fredericton, Saturday, July 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini

FREDERICTON — Citizens, community organizations and First Nations say the New Brunswick government must better protect the drinking water supply.

They say they also want the province to create an online portal featuring interactive maps and dashboards showing water safety conditions and historical water quality information.

Those suggestions came out of public consultations last year on the province’s Clean Water Act, summarized in a report released today.

The consultations took place between June to November 2025 and included six public engagement sessions, an online public survey and 26 written submissions.

New Brunswick’s Environment Department says it will use the feedback as it considers proposing improvements to the Clean Water Act.

Meanwhile, witnesses at related legislative hearings in May pushed lawmakers to enshrine into law the legal right to clean water.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2026.

Eli Ridder, The Canadian Press