Repairs, upgrades lift four drinking water advisories

OTTAWA — The federal government has announced the resolution of four long-term drinking water advisories in Indigenous communities in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.

According to a government release, the solutions included:

• the drinking water advisory affecting the Cowichan Tribes in British Columbia was lifted when the water system was connected to a regional distribution system.
• the water system used by the Adams Lake Indian Band in British Columbia received upgrades to restore clean water.
• the Pikangikum First Nation in Ontario completed repairs to its water treatment system and back-up power system to restore clean drinking water.
• the drinking water advisory was lifted by Canupawakpa Dakota First Nation in southern Manitoba after system upgrades enabled clean water access at the Canupawakpa Community Centre.
• Additionally, one short-term advisory that was at risk of becoming long-term was lifted following repairs to the water treatment system accessed by the Shamattawa First Nation in Manitoba.

There were 105 long-term drinking water advisories on public drinking water systems on reserves in November 2015 and as of Sept. 30, 71 of these advisories have been resolved and 35 have been added.

A government statement said the Ministry of Indigenous Services intends to repair the remaining 69 water systems by March 2021.