INAC Says Reserve Water Quality Improving
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 14:40
An official with Indian Affairs says good progress is being made on improving drinking water systems on reserves in this province.
Trevor Sutter says the department only knows of seven Saskatchewan reserves whose drinking water is listed as “medium risk”.
Those include the communities of Big Island Lake, Fishing Lake, Fond du Lac, Shoal Lake, Starblanket, Wahpeton and Hatchet Lake.
He says all of these problems are either tied to design flaws, or the fact operators are still being trained.
Sutter says just 41 per cent of reserves across the country have certified operators manning their drinking water systems — but in Saskatchewan, he says the percentage is closer to 88 per cent.
An FSIN official says good work is being done on the file, but adds no one can relax until all the communities are off the list.