Source water protection in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia: Local capacity in a watershed context

Protecting source water using watershed management strategies provides communities with an opportunity to reduce the threat of contaminated drinking water. However, small communities face financial, human resource, institutional, social, and technical challenges that test their ability to protect drinking water supplies. This research uses an in-depth case study analysis to evaluate the capacity of small communities in Nova Scotia's Annapolis and Cornwallis watersheds to protect their drinking water supplies. Communities in both watersheds have human resources and social networks that are capable of supporting source water protection activities. However, the institutional environment, financial resources, and technical capacity of these communities are varied. Small communities can protect their sources of drinking water when municipal governments make drinking water protection a priority, local community members are educated and aware of drinking water issues, and linkages among local governments, senior governments, and community members exist.