Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced the launch of a new public dashboard under the National Wastewater Drug Surveillance (NWDS) program as part of Canada's collective response to the illegal drug crisis.
By analyzing wastewater samples from participating communities across Canada, the NWDS provides in-depth information about drug use and supply in Canada, both legal and illegal. Drugs found in wastewater can be the result of drug consumption, illegal dumping or manufacturing processes.
Making provincial and territorial-level drug surveillance data available to public health providers, governments, law and border enforcement, researchers and academics will help inform early intervention, response, and timely decision-making at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.
The NWDS started in 2023 to support the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, and has expanded to support Canada's Border Plan with the inclusion of precursor chemicals. At launch, the dashboard includes data from January 2023 to July 2025 and will be updated quarterly.
