On June 16, 2026, Canada’s federal government introduced Bill C-37, the proposed First Nations Clean Water Act, marking the Carney government’s first legislative attempt on the issue and the third overall by the Liberal party, which had previously introduced similar bills in 2020 and 2023, neither of which became law.
Tabled by Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, the bill aims to close a long-standing regulatory gap: unlike other communities across Canada, First Nations have never had legally enforceable protections for safe drinking water. Alongside the legislation, the government announced a $4.6 billion targeted funding commitment for water and wastewater infrastructure, building on more than $9.4 billion allocated to indigenous water infrastructure since 2015.
Bill C-37 proposes three core measures: requiring drinking water systems on First Nations lands to meet standards equivalent to Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines or applicable provincial standards; affirming First Nations’ inherent right to self-government over water on their lands and creating a First Nations-led water commission; and establishing formal agreements between First Nations, the federal government and provinces to protect source water across shared watersheds.
The central point of contention is legal rather than financial. Its predecessor, Bill C-61 (2023), stated explicitly that access to clean drinking water is a human right for every individual on First Nations land. Bill C-37 replaces that with a commitment to “further the progressive realization” of that right—a concept meaning a government commits to working toward a right over time rather than recognising one that exists today. The shift is linked to opposition from Alberta and Ontario, which argued C-61 threatened resource development and provincial jurisdiction.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak stated that “clean drinking water is a human right, and it is an obligation for governments to honour that right.” Anishinabek Nation Grand Chief Linda Debassige noted that Bill C-37 was introduced without broad or meaningful input by First Nations, unlike previous legislative efforts.
With Parliament rising for summer recess, C-37 will not be debated until autumn. Parliamentary committee hearings in the fall are expected to be the main arena for proposed amendments, with the Assembly of First Nations placing the bill on its July 14 to 16 Annual General Assembly agenda.
