Many, if not most, of the 62 First Nations reserves in this country that lack a safe water supply are found in isolated areas, far from where most Canadians live.
It is to the credit of the current Liberal government in Ottawa that in its quest for reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous Peoples it is making real progress with its longstanding pledge to ensure every First Nation reserve has a safe supply of water for drinking, washing food and bathing.
But it is an indication of the enormity of the problem that the progress is both limited and halting.
It is a fact of life in far too many Indigenous communities that their tap water is unfit for consumption without first being boiled.
At that time, Trudeau’s promise to make these long-term drinking water advisories a thing of the past in every First Nations community by 2021 was greeted with disbelief.
Life is better in those communities, even if they still face challenges unimaginable to most Canadians.
Moreover, the integrity of First Nations water systems can’t be judged solely by the number of water boil advisories.
Other federal government data suggest the improvements to those water systems aren’t as significant or permanent as the end of all those drinking water advisories might lead us to conclude.
Even so, the government has a long way to go.
Yet this remains something Canada absolutely must do.

The city released a statement on Friday afternoon stating that Northern Health has cleared it to downgrade the boil water notice to a water quality advisory.
A water quality advisory does imply a level of risk with consuming the drinking water, but that risk is not serious enough for a boil water notice, or do-not-use water notice.
READ MORE: Watermains flushed to help downgrade Prince Rupert’s boil water notice The release recommends that these people continue to boil water as a precaution when drinking, washing fruits and vegetables, brushing teeth or making beverages or ice.
Unlike giardia, cryptosporidium cannot be treated using chlorination, so the city had to “demonstrate three weeks of satisfactory consecutive results sowing that the raw water shows no detection for cryptosporidium.” The clear cryptosporidium results combined with levels of giardia that can be effectively and safely treated using the city’s chlorination system enabled the boil water notice to be downgraded.
Ongoing monitoring The city will continue to test the water for both giardia and cryptosporidium twice per week for the “foreseeable future, until Northern Health determines it is safe to reduce frequency.” Health care providers in the city will also continue to watch for illnesses caused by the quality of its water.
Moving forward City staff is in the process of writing a report that will outline lessons that have been learned from the notice.
The statement said the information will be presented in February at a meeting of council.
READ MORE: Boil water notice in effect for Prince Rupert To report a typo, email: editor@thenorthernview.com.
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Residents in Raccoon and Potter townships remain under a boil water advisory after a water line break Saturday caused a loss of water pressure in the system.
Residents in Raccoon and Potter townships remain under a boil water advisory after a water line break Saturday caused a loss of water pressure in the system.
Per regulations from the state Department of Environmental Protection, a boil water advisory must be issued for three days after a water system loses pressure.
Since the incident occurred Saturday, the advisory is expected to remain in effect until at least Tuesday.
According to a news release from the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, an eight-inch water line broke along Green Garden Road on Saturday.
The break caused a loss of water pressure.
Repairs were made quickly and water service was restored to customers, but the boil water advisory was put into place per regulations.
An official with the water authority said Monday that the advisory remains intact, and that the agency is waiting to hear back from the DEP about when it might be lifted.

A water-main break in Nackawic early Monday morning has prompted a boil order for some residents and closed two schools for the day.
The order affects only those on lower Landegger Drive, according to a post on the town’s Facebook page.
Nackawic High School and Nackawic Middle School are closed because of the break, a town official said.
Tap water should be brought to a rolling boil for two minutes before being used for drinking, preparing infant formulas and juices, washing fruits and vegetables, cooking, or dental hygiene, the notice advises.
Toddlers and infants should be sponged bathed and caregivers need to ensure no water is swallowed, the notice says.
May last 2 days The precautionary order, issued by the Department of Health, will remain in place until two sets of water samples produce acceptable results.
That could take up to 48 hours, according to the advisory.
Residents will be notified when the boil order is lifted.
Within minutes, however, the town said its public works department believes the water system may have become contaminated because of the break.
Repairs are underway.

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WDTV) — A boil water advisory is in effect for Dakota Lane, Dandelion Road, Scottswood Lane and the surrounding area until further notice.
Residents are advised to bring all water to a boil, let it boil for at least one minute, and let it cool before use; or use bottled water.
Officials say the advisory is due to a main water line repair on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Stay with 5 News for updates.

Once again, residents across a swath of New Orleans were told to avoid drinking water from their taps after pressure dropped in the 9th Ward while Sewerage & Water Board workers were testing a valve Monday morning.
The affected area included portions of the St. Claude, Bywater, Florida and Desire neighborhoods but not New Orleans East.
Residents have long grown weary of the pressure drops and accompanying warnings that have plagued the S&WB’s water system, leading to 16 advisories covering all or parts of the city since 2012.
It typically takes about 24 hours for officials to conduct the tests needed to verify that the water supply remains uncontaminated.
The warning on Monday came while crews were testing valves related to work being done on the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project on Florida Avenue, part of a massive regional drainage project overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, S&WB spokesman Curtis Elmore said.
During the test, pressure dropped unexpectedly, he said.
Under the previous standard, which only called for an advisory when pressure fell below 15 psi, a boil-water advisory would not have been required Monday.
Councilman Jay H. Banks, who was appointed to the S&WB at the end of last year, said he understood residents’ frustrations with the advisories.
More of our tourism taxes get diverted away from city services than (in) any other destination city in the United States,” the email stated before encouraging readers to contact their legislators in support of Cantrell’s infrastructure plan.
During a boil-water advisory, healthy adults should avoid drinking tap water that has not been brought to a boil for a full minute, though they can continue to bathe or shower as long as they don’t ingest any water.

The purpose of this boil water advisory is for the repair of a main water line affecting Dakota Lane, Dendelion Road and Scottswood Lane, beginning on Pennsylvania Avenue from Foothills Lane to Tillbury Street.
Residents of the affected areas are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

NEW ORLEANS — A precautionary boil water advisory issued on Monday morning for the Lower 9th Ward and parts of St. Claude, Bywater Florida and Desire areas is still in effect.
According to the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board, Areas impacted include homes and businesses east of Almonaster Boulevard to the Industrial Canal and the Lower 9th Ward.
Residents in the area should not drink tap water until further notice.
Residents should use bottled or boiled water to drink, cook, clean food or brush teeth.
The S&WB said water pressure in the Lower 9th Ward dropped below 20 psi around 10:06 a.m. for less than 15 minutes.
On Monday afternoon, the S&WB published an explination for the advisory, saying that crews were testing valves for the ongoing Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Program (SELA) project on Florida Avenue when pressure dropped unexpectedly.
During tests, pressure dropped unexpectedly.
Crews immediately suspended the valve testing and normalized pressure. "
Testing water quality samples typically takes up to 24 hours for results, they said.
Stay with Eyewitness News on WWL-TV and WWLTV.com for more on this developing story.

MOREHOUSE PARISH, La.
– (2/4/19) Morehouse Parish is under a boil advisory as of Monday afternoon.
The Beekman Water System is experiencing problems with the water supply system because of main line leak.
As a precaution, the Beekman Water System is issuing a BOIL ADVISORY effective immediately for approximately 30 customers.
The roads effected are south of intersecting roads Hwy 425 and Hamburg Road, including Hwy 593 and Wardville Road.
This BOIL ADVISORY is to remain in effect until rescinded by the Beekman Water System.
It is recommended that all consumers disinfect their water before consuming it (including fountain drinks), making ice, brushing teeth, or using it for food preparation or rinsing of foods by the following means: Boil water for one (1) full minute in a clean container.
The one minute starts after the water has been brought to a rolling boil.
The flat taste can be eliminated by shaking the water in a clean bottle or pouring it from one clean container to another.
Please be sure to disinfect your own water prior to consumption until you have been advised otherwise.

The Lower 9th Ward and parts of the Upper 9th Ward are under a boil-order until further notice, the Sewerage and Water Board said.
Officials made the announcement Monday morning, which affects all of the Lower 9th Ward and parts of St. Claude, the Bywater, and the Florida and Desire areas.
Crews have stabilized pressure, and the Sewerage and Water Board is investigating the cause for the drop in water pressure.
The advisory does not affect New Orleans East and other parts of the east bank of Orleans Parish.
It only applies to households and businesses east of Almonaster Boulevard to the Industrial Canal and people in the Lower 9th Ward.
Residents in the affected areas are advised not to consume tap water until the advisory is lifted.
Use bottled or boiled water to drink, cook, clean food or brush teeth.
Those with compromised immune systems should also use safe water to wash hands, shower or bathe.
The advisory will remain in place until tests show the water is safe for use.
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