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Latest news about the Safe Drinking Water Team
On any given day in Newfoundland and Labrador, there are about 200 boil-water advisories in place in rural communities — and it's not only a problem of public health, but of the viability of small towns themselves. Governments have known for decades the seriousness of the situation, but the problem persists, for several reasons, starting with cost.
Eabametoong First Nation, an Ojibway community that sits about 360 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, passed a band council resolution declaring a state of emergency Friday after water test results showed levels of trihalomethanes (THMs) between 122 to 182 per cent above Health Canada safety standards.
Yesno said residents are also reporting a foul smell coming from the community's tap water.
During an emotional community meeting Tuesday evening, residents of a northern Ontario First Nation grappling with water problems demanded their chief and council ask the Canadian military to step in. Attawapiskat Band Coun. Rosie Koostachin said community members passed a resolution at the meeting calling on their band council to request Ottawa bring in the Canadian Armed Forces' Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to provide clean water.
Cheesemakers in Ontario are taking a hard look at their water use with an eye to improving quality and sustainability. Though the industry is considered a "medium" water consumer by experts, an estimated 10,000 litres of water go into producing a single pound of cheese when the entire production line is taken into account.
Behind every failed First Nations water plant is an unfortunate story. Assigning blame can be challenging: Although Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) pays for most on-reserve infrastructure and sets most of the rules governing design and construction, many other parties are involved, including project managers, engineering and construction firms and First Nations chiefs and councillors.
On November 19, 2015, James Smith Cree Nation welcomed about 50 people for an open house at their integrated biological reverse osmosis membrane water treatment plant. The attendees were a mixture of First Nations, James Smith Indian Reserve residents, including James Smith Cree Nation (JSCN) Chief, Justin Burns, visitors from Stanley Mission, industry representatives, two representatives from the Water Security Agency, and main presenter, Dr. Hans Peterson.
