News

Nov 17, 2011

Report blasts Ottawa’s record on clean water

By: Mary Agnes Welch

WHEN it comes to safeguarding clean drinking water, including on First Nations, Ottawa’s record is “shameful” and “dismal.”
That’s according to the third national Waterproof report released Tuesday that handed the federal government an “F” for its progress on clean water over the last five years.

Ecojustice, formerly the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, found a lack of regular testing and monitoring of surface and drinking water quality in areas of federal jurisdiction, and looming cuts to Environment Canada’s budget will only make the problem worse.

And, despite repeated calls, there are still no binding regulations governing the quality of drinking water on First Nations reserves.

“…The federal government’s performance regarding water is unequivocally dismal,” said the report.

There are 1,400 homes on Manitoba First Nations without basic indoor plumbing — flush toilets and kitchen taps. That spawns health and hygiene problems such as diarrhea and chronic skin ailments and difficulty keeping homes clean. It’s a problem on many reserves but nowhere is it more concentrated than in Manitoba.

And, a recent assessment of existing water- and sewage-treatment systems on reserves all over Canada estimated it will cost $4.7 billion over the next decade to bring water systems alone up to snuff.

“The conditions in many First Nations can only be described as shameful,” said environmental lawyer Randy Christensen, the report’s author. “There’s been no progress made on the legislative front and little progress made on the ground.”

The Harper government introduced legislation in the Senate last year that would have allowed for the creation of binding water-quality standards for reserves, something many have called for. The bill died when the spring election was called, but a spokeswoman for federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan said the minister plans to reintroduce the on-reserve water legislation this session.

National First Nations groups and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs opposed the legislation, saying it essentially put the cart before the horse.

They say what’s needed is funding to bring running water to the thousands of homes that lack it and upgrades to existing water- and sewage-treatment plants to ensure they’re working properly.

Only then is it realistic to expect bands to be able to comply with drinking-water standards, and those standards must be made in consultation with First Nations, not imposed.

Christensen said proper funding for clean water on reserves is a key requirement, but good regulations, with a reasonable phase-in period, are also necessary so new water-treatment projects can be built in the meantime with the right standards in mind.

Manitoba makes the grade
THE province’s drinking water protection regime earned a B+ from Ecojustice. That’s a significant boost from Manitoba’s previous grade of C+ when Ecojustice last did its report in 2006.

The report credits Manitoba for a new statutory scheme to create source water protection plans, even though those plans are not legally binding and still in the works. And, the province has significantly improved requirements for water treatment and testing over the last five years.

Manitoba tied New Brunswick for the third-highest grade awarded by Ecojustice. Ontario earned an A and Nova Scotia earned an A-. Nunavut did the worst among the provinces and territories, scoring a D.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/report-blasts-ottawas-record-on-clean-water-133944928.html