AFN supports legal action for safe drinking water

The Assembly of First Nations National Executive Committee is supporting legal action undertaken by Sucker Creek First Nation, Ermineskin Cree Nation, Kainai Nation and the Tsuu T’ina Nation against the federal government on unsafe drinking water. “Potable water is a serious issue in Alberta as we cannot even drink water from pumps or natural springs. This situation is unacceptable and must be dealt with quickly,” said AFN Alberta Regional Chief Cameron Alexis, in a news release. As of March 31, 2014, the AFN says there were 147 drinking water advisories in 87 First Nations communities across Canada, with 68 per cent of these designated as continued advisories, many of which have been in place for several years. The AFN noted that July 2011 figures released by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada indicated that 73 per cent of the water systems inspected and 66 per cent of the wastewater systems inspected were categorized as medium to high overall risk. The report determined that, nationally, “based on the 10 year projected populations, the combined water and wastewater servicing needs are estimated to be $4.7 billion plus a projected operating and maintenance budget of $419 million per year.”