A new water treatment facility now supplies drinking water to residents of a Saskatchewan reserve that had been under a boil-water advisory for 17 years.
On July 25, the Star Blanket Cree Nation, an indigenous reserve located approximately 90 kilometres northeast of Regina, lifted a boil-water advisory in effect since 2007, according to a press release. The move follows the opening of a $10.5 million water treatment plant on the reserve earlier this month.
“The completion and opening of our new water treatment plant brings great pride as we announce the lifting of the boil water advisory,” said Michael Starr, Star Blanket Cree Nation chief. “We can now use the water feeling comfort knowing the water is clean and safe to consume.”
The reserve is home to about 300 people who, prior to the lifting of the advisory, were required to boil the water before drinking it to protect their health against disease-causing bacteria, viruses, or parasites, according to the advisory description.
The water facility was officially opened on July 4, and it now provides ready-to-drink water, using methods such as biological filtration and membrane treatment, officials said.
The water facility construction began in January 2023, with funding of more than $10.5 million from Indigenous Services Canada, a July 4 statement said. The project includes a training program called the Circuit Rider Training Program to train and mentor operators of First Nations water systems.
Since 2015, a total of 145 drinking water advisories on public systems on reserve have been lifted across Canada, with 31 still remaining active, according to government estimates. In Saskatchewan, there are only five left.
Of the 29 communities that currently have water advisories in place, 13 of them have infrastructure suitable for water treatment, officials say.
“Thanks to the dedication of Star Blanket Cree Nation, community members now have reliable access to safe drinking water for generations to come,” said Indigenous Services Canada Minister Patty Hajdu. “There are now 70% fewer long-term drinking water advisories in First Nation communities across Canada than in 2015. And there is a plan in place to address all the remaining ones.”
