Sachigo Lake First Nation ends boil water advisory after treatment plant upgrades

Upgrades and expansions to water infrastructure at Sachigo Lake First Nation are now complete, lifting a four-year boil water advisory in the community.

Sachigo Lake, about 640 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont., has over 500 people living on reserve.

Improvements to the infrastructure, which cost $29 million over five years, include upgrades to the current water treatment plant, extending the water distribution system and expanding the wastewater lagoon.

Tom Sayers, overall responsible operator for the Windigo First Nations Council, provides technical assistance in the operation of water treatment facilities in the Windigo First Nations communities. The council looks over seven First Nations in northern Ontario, including Sachigo Lake.

"It means a lot to the community because it increases the capacity of safe drinking water for the community and it fixes many of the deficiencies of the old water treatment plant that was designed many years ago," he said.

The community has been relying on bottled water for drinking water since the advisory started, and a standalone reverse osmosis unit at the local store.

He said the removal of the boil water advisory means the water is deemed safe to drink from a microbiological and chemical perspective.

"We rely on weekly testing to determine the safety of the water so if we see any anomalies in either process or operations of the plant, then the plant would be placed on a boil water advisory again," he said.

"But for now, with the new system, the water has been deemed safe and everybody can drink the water."

He said they have been working with the federal government since the boil water advisory was implemented to find a solution to Sachigo's issues with its previous treatment system. 

"The treatment system was basically at an age where the equipment was breaking down significantly in the filter system, which led to more of an urgency to address the boil water advisory," he said.

Infrastructure investments should be maintained, says chief

In a news release, Indigenous Services Canada said the improvements provide safe drinking water for 185 homes and non-residential buildings like the band office, schools, the community hall, daycare and the hockey arena.

"As people of the land, we understand firsthand how clean water is the starting point to all life," Sachigo Lake Chief Robert Beardy was quoted in the release.

"As chief, I am pleased that finally today, I can tell community members that the water is good, the water is drinkable and that the clean water flowing from our taps takes us one step closer towards fairness and equity, safety and well-being.

"Looking ahead, however, we must ensure that ISC maintains critical capital investments into Sachigo Lake's infrastructure so that our children and those yet to come can expect clean drinking water from their taps, too."

In the release, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu thanked Beardy and the teams that led to the lifting f the boil water advisory.

"The people responsible for upgrades to the community water infrastructure worked through the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain delays," she said in the release.

"Despite all of these barriers, they finished the job. Congratulations, Sachigo Lake First Nation on this new chapter."

According to the release, 136 boil water advisories have ended across Canada since November 2015, 69 of them in Ontario. It said work is underway in 19 Ontario communities to resolve the remaining 22 long-term drinking water advisories.