01-40_WC_149_JUL-AUG26_PT - Flipbook - Page 31
Advisories can be put in place because of water
line breaks, equipment failure or poor filtration or
disinfection during water treatment amongst other
causes.
Communities might also issue a drinking water
advisory as a precautionary measure, Su said, such as
when repairs are underway to the water system.
“Drinking water advisories are not always the
result of a technical problem, but can be a result of
operational considerations,” she said.
Besides the technical challenges of upgrading infrastructure in sometimes remote
or geographically expansive communities it is
important to take into consideration the differing
needs of each community.
“Ensuring sustainable access to safe drinking
water goes beyond infrastructure alone. It requires a
comprehensive, community-led approach that reflects
the unique needs, priorities, and knowledge of each
First Nation,” Su said.
Retaining certified water operators and supporting
them with ongoing training and mentorship ensures
systems are safe and effective on a long-term basis, she
said.
Cook echoed the need for operators to ensure water
advisories stay lifted.
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“Operations is absolutely everything. Without the
operators there it doesn’t matter what you put in place,
without operators it could be a $5 billion system and
you won’t be able to run it and you’ll continue with
that advisory as a result,” she said.
“It’s not education gaps in a small community,
which I think is an unfair take people focus on, you
have to think in terms of numbers,” Cook said. “If
you have a community with 300 people, how many
will even have the interest in being a water operator?
Or you could have a passionate water operator who
has been there for many years but moves away or
needs to retire. Who’s coming behind them? It’s a real
challenge.”
Cook pointed to collaboration between all parties
as a key to long-term success when solving water
infrastructure issues.
“There’s a lot of innovation on the social side and
less hardcore technical engineering where we focus on
getting the community at the table with engineers,
regulators and Indigenous Services Canada, having
everyone come together in order to define their piece
of the puzzle to lift a water advisory,” Cook said.
“Meaningful engagement and partnership with
communities are also critical. First Nations are best
placed to identify their priorities, and their leadership
is central to the design, delivery, and management of
water systems,” Su added.
Respecting and incorporating Indigenous
knowledge and practices is another key element, Su
said.
“This includes recognizing the cultural, spiritual,
and environmental importance of water, and ensuring
that solutions align with community values and
traditions,” she said.
Cook said while she’s empathetic to different ways
of seeing water as a resource, in terms of lifting water
advisories she is more focused on listening to the
community’s concerns.
“There are things I don’t know about the
community and that’s why it’s important to have
those people at the table so they might say ‘no, we
don’t want that source water’ or ‘that particular well
is not to be drilled there’. I don’t need to know why,
I can just respect that this is their community and
that can be the difference between success or nonsuccess,” she said.
The substandard drinking water conditions
endured for decades by First Nations communities
are not only due to past institutional racism but also
policy, Cook said.
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