Experts tackle water safety issues at conference

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The safety of drinking water was on the minds of experts from across the globe as they gathered at the Future of Water Treatment Conference hosted by the Safe Drinking Water Foundation (SDWF) in Saskatoon. The four-day event, which took place Sept. 13 to 17, was attended by engineers, professors, public health advocates and scientists from Spain, England, China, United States and Canada.

Among the guests who gave presentations about problems with drinking water within their respective communities was SDWF voluntary executive director Dr. Hans Petersen, who shared his experience working on the new water treatment plant on Yellow Quill First Nation.

Since 1999, Peterson had been working with Yellow Quill to find a safe and effective solution for its water problems. In March, a boil water advisory was finally lifted after eight years, thanks to a new biofiltration water system developed by Peterson that uses ground water as its main source.

Peterson said the issue of water quality is something that needs to be examined more closely around the world.

"It's a huge concern. If you actually look at the United Nations, (they're) saying 80 per cent of all diseases in a developing country is caused by water and some 35 per cent of all potential productivity, human productivity is lost because of water borne disease," he said.

"It's actually a big issue in Canada as well and the entire issue's centered around smaller communities ... because smaller communities typically use whatever water they can get their hands on ... they don't have the resources to treat it, they don't have the treatment equipment, they don't have the people. And that's how we have these challenges in the very small communities."

One of the speakers taking part in the conference was Dr. Paulette Tremblay, senior executive director of the Six Nations of the Grand River council in Southern Ontario, who stressed the need for more collaboration between on-reserve health and environment unit staff in order to tackle water problems. Chief Archie Waquan from Mikisew Cree First Nation in Alberta and co-chair of the board of directors of SDWF and Tom Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network in Bemidji, Minnesota both talked about water issues affecting Aboriginal communities in Canada and the United States. Priscilla Settee, the director of the Indigenous People's Program at the University of Saskatchewan, took on the hosting duties for some of the presentations.

A field trip provided conference attendees an opportunity to see the Yellow Quill water treatment plant. Once the visitors arrived, they were treated to a lunch catered by the students of Nawigizigweyas school and entertainment provided by drum group Northern Eagle.

To show their appreciation and gratitude to Peterson for his hard work and dedication to the water project, the people of Yellow Quill gave Peterson the title of honorary Indian on Sept. 16.

"I got a treaty card. It's not quite legit ... it is an original card, but lacking a couple of signatures," said a delighted Peterson. "It was great ... we actually had an Elder from Saddle Lake ... (who) adopted me and my wife as his grandkids."

After working on the Yellow Quill project, Peterson will also lend his expertise in water treatment to both the Pasqua and Gordon First Nations. He will also be sharing the success story of Yellow Quill at the United Nations in April 2005.