Water Quality Criteria for Indigenous Use

Setting a new standard for water quality in the Athabasca watershed

Large scale industrial extraction of the Athabasca Oil Sands and the resulting accumulation of chemically contaminated wastewater (tailings ponds) in Alberta have led to significant water quality concerns for downstream Indigenous communities.

To address these concerns, the communities hired a toxicologist (Integrated Toxicology Solutions) to assess current water quality of the Athabasca watershed and develop water quality standards protective of Indigenous water uses (e.g., drinking water; consumption of traditional foods and medicinal plants). This research led to the creation of a 100+ page technical report that was challenging to communicate back to community members in a meaningful way.

Wapiti Studios was hired to review the technical report, translate it into a plain language summary, and create clear, accessible visuals to help explain the research. Sarah condensed the research down to 11 pages of plain language content with attractive, educational visuals to convey the findings to community members.