MARTEN FALLS — An “interim fix” at the local sewage treatment facility has remedied a vexing leak for now, Chief Bruce Achneepineskum said Thursday.
But the system requires “a large overhaul” before a water state of emergency can be lifted in Marten Falls First Nation, he told Newswatch by phone.
“We brought in some technicians to the community and they stopped the leak,” the chief said.
He said there’s still more to be done, including replacing pumps at the sewage lift station and rehabilitating some very old infrastructure.
Pump replacement will take time for delivery and installation, he said.
Marten Falls, which has been under a boil water advisory for many years, declared a state of emergency over its drinking water supply on Monday.
There’s concern an “operational failure” at the community’s sewage treatment station contaminated tap water and thus created “immediate and high risk to the health of community members,” a notice posted on Facebook said.
Achneepineskum said Thursday bottled water is being delivered to all households on the fly-in reserve, which has a population of around 300.
An Indigenous Services Canada spokesperson said by email the department is “actively working on solutions with Marten Falls First Nation to make sure community members have access to clean drinking water.
“This includes getting the pump in the wastewater treatment facility fixed to provide immediate repairs to the wastewater system and to ensure this never happens again.”
The spokesperson also said there is a “need for transformational change. That’s why we introduced Bill C-61, the First Nations Clean Water Act.”
Bill C-61 was introduced last December to replace the 2013 Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act.
Among other things, the bill includes minimum national standards for drinking water and a commitment to support the creation of a First Nations Water Commission.
It has passed first and second reading but not the necessary third reading in the House of Commons. It has not yet been introduced in the Senate.