The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) understands the importance of water. The entire purpose of Canada's plan — the reason we are investing time, effort and money to implement it — is to protect people and the environment, including water.
As we implement Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel, protecting water is a key part of our commitment to future generations.
Through discussions with Canadians and Indigenous Peoples, the NWMO identified a common theme of questions about how Canada’s plan for used nuclear fuel will protect water. To reinforce the importance of this work, we published a Water Statement, which outlines how the entire purpose of the plan is to protect people and the environment, including water.
Our approach to water is enriched by drawing from two powerful knowledge systems: Indigenous Knowledge and western science. We are on a continuous learning journey to understand all the ways in which water sustains us, its profound cultural importance to Indigenous Peoples, and the personal connections to water we all share.
Jessica Perritt is the NWMO’s Vice-President of Indigenous and Municipal Relations and Transportation, and she knows that protecting water is at the heart of the NWMO’s work. “Within an Indigenous worldview, we see water as Mother Earth’s lifeline. It really is that thread of life to all creation,” Perritt said. “I think what Indigenous nations are asking people globally is to understand that connection. In the NWMO’s work, it is important that we are learning from the wisdom of our ancestors.”
Indigenous Knowledge offers a vital perspective on our work with water. Elders and Knowledge Holders have consistently reminded us that access to and preservation of water are foundational to the identity, rights and cultural continuity of Indigenous Peoples, who have been sustained by these waters since time immemorial.
Our personal connections to water unite us. Through collaboration with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Holders, scientists, industry experts, conservation authorities and youth, we are continually learning and evolving our understanding. We are proud to employ and partner with passionate individuals dedicated to water protection across all aspects of their lives and work.
Western science gives us an incredible capacity to measure water quality over time and to understand how best to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel from the environment. There is a strong scientific consensus that deep geological repositories offer the best method to protect the environment, including water and people, for millions of years.
At the depth of the proposed repository — approximately 500 to 800 metres below the surface — there is very little water. The trace amounts of groundwater at this depth have been disconnected from surface water for millions of years. The rock itself acts as a primary barrier, isolated from active watersheds.
In the deep geological repository, a series of engineered and natural barriers will work together to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel to protect people and the environment for generations to come.
Together, we are listening to and learning from water, ensuring we can always respect, protect and nurture it today and for the countless generations to come.