Water system upgrades studied

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The Aboriginal Management Institute, an independent organization providing business expertise to First Nations communities, hosted the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Conference at the Westin Grand Hotel in Vancouver Oct. 21 and 22.

The conference was timely: A recent Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) water quality assessment unearthed some alarming figures. Out of 740 First Nations' water systems tested, 29 per cent were classified by INAC as "high risk," and an additional 46 per cent were classified as "medium risk."

In response to this serious situation, INAC and Health Canada will pump $596 million over the next five years into building, upgrading and monitoring water treatment facilities, as well as continuing systems training and certification. The onus now is moving to the communities to determine their needs and acquire the tools to protect the health of their people.

The conference, which was held also in Winnipeg and Toronto, was intended to help communities meet INAC's funding criteria and achieve regulatory compliance. Other topics were the financial and health implications of choosing various water-treatment options; the importance of implementing an emergency preparedness system; and the need for accurate record-keeping and testing.

Co-chair Dr. Hans Peterson, executive director of the Safe Drinking Water Foundation, provided an overview in his talk, Understanding the Current State and Future Direction of Water Treatment, of the types of water sources used in Canada, particularly in rural areas, and the unique water treatment challenges of each region.

He noted that in remote communities, infant mortality is sometimes 40 per cent higher than in urban communities, and he believes drinking water quality plays a role.

"Water-borne illnesses in these communities is higher than (in) Cuba," Peterson said. He then outlined some of the conventional, advanced, and emerging water treatment options, and advised delegates to consider the implications of water treatment choices-not just for today, but for 10 to 20 years from now.

One of the most exciting developments from the Safe Drinking Water Foundation is Operation Water Drop-a program that focuses on water quality from a drinking water perspective and promotes awareness, protection, and stewardship among school-age children.

"We started [the program] in Alberta schools," said Dr. Hans Peterson, "but we're actually in the process of revising it to be more culturally relevant to Aboriginal and First Nation communities, and are hoping to get it into the schools there." (More information about the Operation Water Drop program can be found on the Safe Drinking Water Foundation's Web site, www.safewater.org)

First Nations Emergency Services Society of British Columbia (FNESS) delivered a presentation entitled Effective Strategies for Emergency Preparedness and Response. FNESS representative Ananthan Suppiah told delegates that out of 46 bands surveyed by FNESS, less than 10 per cent had well-developed emergency plans, and did not know who to call in an emergency.

Suppiah said that the best and most effective emergency plans are community-centred and community-driven. He suggested that neighbouring communities should pool their resources to create an integrated approach to emergency preparedness. Start by identifying potential hazards, then identify appropriate actions using SMART action principles (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound), he said. Suppiah closed the session by reminding delegates of the importance of open communication. "Poor internal and external communication is the main cause of shortcomings in all emergency procedures."

On day two of the conference, John Wilkinson, a sales representative from H2O Innovations, gave a short but very informative presentation about choosing water treatment technologies.

"The priority is to choose a system that can be maintained and operated realistically," he said. "It's n good choosing something that needs to be monitored or maintained every few weeks if there's no one in your community who's going to do it."

Having worked with small, isolated communities, Wilkinson has determined that the best water treatment facilities for them are automated, failsafe, and have remote monitoring and extensive third-party technical services available.

He outlined some of the services available from water treatment providers, from full installation operations and maintenance, to troubleshooting, emergency response, training and advisory services.

"The quality of your engineering consultant is paramount to using your funding wisely and to selecting the system appropriate for your community's needs," Wilkinson concluded. "That's a person you need to trust, and who's going to make the best decision for your people, based on the quality of the information you give him."

The financial implications of these undertakings aren't lost on cash-strapped communities.

James Craven, president of the First Nations Finance Authority, presented an option to help communities borrow more effectively and get a better rate of return on their investments. Craven acknowledged that small First Nation communities tend to have low access to capital and difficulty dealing with financial institutions. By pooling their financial resources in the non-profit finance authority, communities were encouraged to find strength in numbers.

Chief Rose Laboucan of Driftpile First Nation, Alta. came to acquire information that would assist in negotiating with the federal government for future funding.

"First Nations are keepers of this land, and water is a part of that," she said. "We need to guard that and protect it for our people. Our Elders predicted that someday we would be buying bottled water-and that prediction is coming true. Water is such a sacred part of our land, and how we treat it is up to us. This goes much deeper than the issue of drinking clean water. It's a symbl of our commitment to the land."