Capacity Gap & Initiatives on Capacity Gap & Initiatives on First Nations Water & First Nations Water &

WastewaterWastewater

March 10, 2010Hilton Hotel & Suites, Niagara Falls, Ontario

Wesley Bova, P.Eng.Matawa First Nations Management

The Walkerton Inquiry Part 2 (2002)

“water provided to First Nations reserves is some of the poorest qualitywater in the province.” It went on to indicate that water quality is notprovided at the standards that prevail throughout the province.

Walkerton Inquiry Part 2First Nations Issues were summarized as follows:• infrastructure is either obsolete, entirely absent, inappropriate, or

of low quality; • not enough operators are adequately trained or certified; • testing and inspection are inadequate; • microbial contamination is frequent; and • distribution systems, especially on reserves, are sized to deliver

about half the water available per capita to other Ontarians. The report stated that “This is not acceptable”.

Report of the Expert Panel on Safe Drinking Water for First Nations

Indicated the need for a comprehensive approach to reduce the risk of unsafe drinking water to negligible level by:

• putting in place multiple barriers aimed at preventing contaminants from reaching consumers;

• adopting a cautious approach to making decisions that affect drinking water safety;

• ensuring that water providers apply sound quality management and operating systems; and

• providing effective provincial government regulation and oversight.

Report of the Expert Panel on Safe Drinking Water for First Nations

The multi barrier approach • source water protection;• effective drinking water treatment; and• secure distribution of treated water to consumers.

“These steps rely on effective monitoring of drinking water quality, aswell as enlightened management of the various systems involved in producing, protecting and delivering drinking water.”

2005 Engineers Reports on Water SystemsCommunityCommunity Estimated Cost Estimated Cost

of Mitigation of Mitigation MeasuresMeasures

Estimated Cost Estimated Cost of Treatment of Treatment

UpgradesUpgrades

Total Cost of Total Cost of Mitigation and Mitigation and

Treatment Treatment UpgradesUpgrades

Constance Lake Constance Lake First NationFirst Nation

$1,400,000$1,400,000 $4,000,000$4,000,000 $5,400,000$5,400,000

Eabametoong Eabametoong First NationFirst Nation

$703,350$703,350 $4,000,000$4,000,000 $4,703,350$4,703,350

Marten Falls First Marten Falls First NationNation

$699,975$699,975 $4,000,000$4,000,000 $4,699,975$4,699,975

Neskantaga First Neskantaga First NationNation

$791,100$791,100 $4,000,000$4,000,000 $4,791,100$4,791,100

Nibinamik First Nibinamik First NationNation

$707,400$707,400 $4,000,000$4,000,000 $4,707,400$4,707,400

TotalsTotals $4,301,825$4,301,825 $20,000,000$20,000,000 $24,301,825$24,301,825

2005 Engineering Assessment Waste Water Systems

CommunityCommunity Estimated Cost Estimated Cost to Implement to Implement Recommended Recommended Operations and Operations and Maintenance Maintenance RequirementsRequirements

Estimated Cost Estimated Cost to Address to Address DeficienciesDeficiencies

Total Estimated Total Estimated Cost of O&M and Cost of O&M and Deficiencies Deficiencies

Constance Lake Constance Lake First NationFirst Nation

$14,000$14,000 $497,000$497,000 $511,000$511,000

Eabametoong Eabametoong First NationFirst Nation

$14,000$14,000 $6,323,200$6,323,200 $6,337,200$6,337,200

Marten Falls Marten Falls First NationFirst Nation

$12,000$12,000 $2,351,800$2,351,800 $2,363,800$2,363,800

Nibinamik First Nibinamik First NationNation

$33,000$33,000 $1,849,200$1,849,200 $1,882,200$1,882,200

TotalsTotals $73,000$73,000 $11,021,200$11,021,200 $11,094,200$11,094,200

Questions