Ottawa is taking action to normalize the water supply on a small Cape Breton, N.S. First Nation after years of odorous, thick, brown liquid flowing from fixtures, and concerns about long-term health consequences.
Design work is set to begin as early as this month on new multimillion-dollar treatment plant that will help remove iron and manganese from the Potlotek First Nationâs water supply. A permanent solution could take years to complete. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada has not offered specifics on a timeline.
Many in the community have refused to drink the water -- which ranges in colour from a dull yellow to a dark black depending on the day.
âDrinking all this water over the years got me sick,â said one resident at a meeting held Tuesday. âIâm 48 years old, and Iâm disabled.â
Chris McDonell, the regional director general for Indigenous and Northern Affairs, says the first step is to determine the best water source to serve the community. Residents are adamant that they donât want the water to be drawn from a nearby lake any longer.
âExperts will be on site. They will be drilling. They will be doing a lot of analysis,â said McDonell.
In the meantime, limestone will be added to reduce manganese levels and hopefully return the water to a more familiar colour and smell.
The water is safe despite its unrefreshing appearance, according to the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada. Dr. David Butler-Jones took a sip from a glass of local water that was clear in appearance while speaking at the meeting to prove his point.
âThe discolouration will, especially when it gets bad, stain your clothes when you do the laundry. It tastes bad. It looks bad. It is not, however, dangerous,â he said.
Dr. Butler-Jonesâ reassurances of safety did not sit well with residents. They say one glass may not hurt, but years of consumption will.
âNot you doctor, or anyone else in Canada, is going to convince me there's nothing wrong with our water,â said one resident.
âWe trusted you guys too long and look at us today,â said resident Bernadette Marshall. âThere are so many sick people in my community. If only you knew.â
For now, residents will continue to have access to clean bottled water provided by Northern Affairs.
Officials will continue to flush lines and test the water for the next few weeks.
With a report from CTV Atlantic's Kyle Moore