November 2018: Continued progress on long-term drinking water advisories

OTTAWA, Dec. 4, 2018 /CNW/ - The federal government remains steadfast and on track in its commitment to end all long-term drinking water advisories on public systems on reserves by March 2021 and prevent short-term advisories from becoming long-term.

The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services, provided the following update as part of the department's regular reporting on access to safe drinking water.

• The Tl'azt'en Nation in British Columbia lifted the long term drinking water advisory at the Dzitlinelee 9 Reserve. The drinking water is now safe to drink and use. The advisory had been in place since January 2005.

Additionally, one short-term advisory that was at-risk of becoming long-term was successfully lifted:

• Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan lifted a short-term advisory on November 29 after operational issues resulting from water loss and depressurization were resolved.

Seventy-five long-term drinking water advisories have now been resolved on public water systems on reserves since November 2015. Work is already underway to end the remaining 66 long-term advisories and prevent further short-term advisories from becoming long-term.

Quotes

"The progress on our government's commitment continues as an additional long-term drinking water advisory was lifted in November 2018.  While some months show more progress than others, we do remain on track to lifting all by March 2021. I invite all Canadians to follow progress on the work underway at www.canada.ca/water-on-reserve."

The Honourable Jane Philpott, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Indigenous Services

Quick Facts

• A drinking water advisory becomes long-term when it has been in place for over a year.
• There were 105 long-term drinking water advisories on public drinking water systems on reserves in November 2015. As of November 30, 2018, 75 of these advisories have been lifted and 36 have been added. Working in collaboration with First Nations, the Government of Canada has committed to ending all long-term advisories on public systems on reserves by March 2021.
• Since November 2015, 84 short-term drinking water advisories lasting between two and 12 months were lifted before becoming long-term.
• Budget 2016 provided $1.8 billion over five years toward water and wastewater infrastructure. These investments have supported 468 water and wastewater projects in 580 First Nations communities, serving 458,000 people.
• Budget 2018 provided an additional $172.6 million over three years to help accelerate progress on lifting drinking water advisories and to ensure more infrastructure projects can be completed prior to 2021. Budget 2018 also proposes support for repairs to high risk water systems, recruitment, training and retention initiatives, and the establishment of innovative First Nations-led service delivery models.

Associated Links

• Ending long-term drinking water advisories
• Investing in First Nations community infrastructure
• Lifecycle of a First Nation community infrastructure project
• Budget 2016: A Better Future for Indigenous Peoples
• Budget 2018

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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada

media may contact: Rachel Rappaport, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services, 819-934-2796; Media Relations, Indigenous Services Canada, 819-953-1160, [email protected]