For World Water Day 2021, the United Nations wants us to think about how we value water, and the ways it benefits our lives. If we want to continue to have access to water in all the ways we value, UCalgary experts say that equity needs to be the goal: equitable access to water, equitable opportunities to have a say in the future of our watersheds, and equitable consideration of sustainable approaches.
Members of Neskantaga come home today to boil water advisory
Another factor in the chief's decision is the fact that the plant still isn't running at capacity. It's designed to produce 3.8 litres of water per second for each of its two treatment lines, but the most it can produce now is less than three litres, according to project progress reports obtained by CBC News. "The amount would still meet the [community's] need," said Lalita Bharadwaj, a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan who studies access to safe drinking water in First Nations. "But it raises concerns about the sustainability of the system, and operations and management of the system." Bharadwaj said there should be four operators working at the plant — two who are certified and two others from the local community who can receive training, which she said could take years.