Working Together: How On-Site Assessments are Supporting First Nations in Planning for Long-Term Sustainability Aaron Genereux, P.Eng OgemawahjTribal Council Karen Machado Indigenous Drinking Water Projects Office
Working Together – Supporting First Nations • Partnership like ‘no other’ in Ontario New Relationship: Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) and the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP) Indigenous Drinking Water Project Office.
Anishinabek Nation (Union of Ontario Indians) • Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) is responsible for political advocacy for the Nation’s 40 member First Nations. • Organization is a continuation of the Confederacy of Three Fires, which pre-dates European contact. • Algonquin – Ojibwe – Chippewa – Delaware – Mississauga –Odawa - Pottawatomi • Represents a combined 60,000 citizens. • Grand Chief supported by 4 Regional Grand Chiefs
Anishinabek Nation (AN) Water Needs Assessment Technical Working Group • Established by Chief’s Resolution Key Objectives: 1) Establish Position under the Federal “ Safe Drinking Water Act for First Nations’ and now to include Ontario Drinking Water Regulations. • Information and data collected from Water Treatment Plant Assessments will provide additional data, findings and credence to the Anishinabek Nation’s position 2) AN Water Needs Assessment will identify the ‘level of investment’ to ensure residents have access to safe water systems. 3) The KPMG Water and Wastewater report substantiate the immediate front end investment from the Federal Government as part of their fiduciary responsibilities to First Nation Communities.
Anishinabek Nation Water System Needs Working Group Committee representation • 7 Tribal Council Technical Advisors • 1 Large First Nation • 6 Unaffiliated First Nations • 1 Ontario First Nation Technical Services Corp • 2 Ministry of Ontario Conservation and Parks staff • 1 Union of Ontario staff • 1 Union of Ontario Chief
Anishinabek Nation Water Needs Assessment Timeline….. August 2016 September April 2016 2017 Technical 2018/2019 3 rd Party CHIEFS RESOLUTION Working Group ALL Formed REPORT Lake Huron Chiefs Technical Data Wastewater Finalized information from passed a resolution Facilities are for the Anishinabek Tribal KPMG Final being assessed Nation (AN) to Councils/First Report “Water and Wastewater develop overall Nations to by the MECP. Investment Water Needs support the AN Requirements Water Needs Assessment for for the AN” was Assessment 2016-17 received June 2016 February 2017 2017/2018 NATION TO MECP In partnership with NATION MEETINGS the AN, the Ministry completed of Environment UOI provided this assessments Conservation and data to the Federal for ALL Water Parks agreed to Government – provide Water encouraging Treatment Treatment Plant immediate Inspections Facilities Assessments investment for the Water/Wastewater Systems 7
KPM KPMG Repo port – In Inves estmen ment Need eeds >>Technical Data provided by Wor orking g gr grou oup<<
UOI Water Needs Assessment Inspection by Provincial Inspectors • Resolution #2017-04 from June 2017 Grand Council Assembly, in part, stating clearly that a partnership had evolved: The Anishinabek Nation Water Need Technical Working Group and the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP) have been developing the plan to complete the “Community Water Treatment Plant Assessments”
On-Site Assessments • The focus is to identify gaps between the current treatment processes and plant operations on reserve and Ontario’s regulatory framework for municipal systems • On-site assessments of treatment plants and distribution systems include a review of existing information as well as a visual/physical inspection to assess conformance with the SDWA, O. Reg. 170/03 & O. Reg. 128/04 • Prior to the site visits, the treatment plant operators are asked to complete a questionnaire that we developed based on the Ministry’s municipal inspection protocols which was slightly modified to reflect drinking water in First Nation Communities • Summary Reports for the Assessments of our findings and recommendations are provided to the Tribal Council Technical Representatives and the Communities
Water System Assessments • Assessments were completed in 27 communities. • IDWPO reached out to the MECP Drinking Water Staff in the Province to help out. • Overwhelming response with over 30 volunteers which were mainly water inspectors. • IDWPO team consists of Technical Operations Advisor, Water Engineer and Engineering Intern. • Feedback from the volunteers was very positive and many have requested to participate in additional site visits.
Waste Water System Assessments
Summary of Common Findings • The majority of the systems do not conform to the Provincial requirements including primary disinfection • However, these systems had low risk ratings from the Federal Annual Performance Inspections • Systems identified as being potentially groundwater under the influence of surface water (GUDI) have not undertaken a hydrogeological study to determine GUDI status • Monitoring equipment has not been installed or designed to conform with Provincial requirements i.e. effluent turbidity meters, back up chemical pumps, online analyzers, data loggers/paperless recorders and SCADA systems have either not been installed and/or are out of service • Community Lead Sampling is not being conducted in any of the systems • All operators need training and support with operating systems under O. Regulation 170 requirements • Site Specific Standard Operating Procedures have not been developed • Owners and Operators were not provided with As built drawings and Comprehensive Operations Manuals • Well head and source water protection plans have not been developed
Municipal vs Findings on Assessments • The 2017-18 annual drinking water report shows 99.8% of the 659 municipal residential drinking water systems received an inspection rating indicating compliance of over 80% with Ontario's regulations. • The results from the AN assessments showed approximately 1-2 communities of the 27 assessed that could potentially meet the regulations with minor adjustments. • A majority of the systems that were identified as higher risk by the technical working group were in pre-Walkerton status. • One community from the assessments went on the Long Term Drinking Water Advisory List.
Next Steps • Working with Union of Ontario Indians to support efforts to secure sustainable funding from the Federal Government – Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) • Working with IDWPO on a possible trial with a couple communities to achieve full compliance with Provincial Regulations and Standards. • Operations and Maintenance Business Plan – resolution for the Technical Working Group to develop a plan for the AN communities.
For further information, please contact: Union of Ontario Indians (Anishinabek Nation) Rhonda Gagnon Policy Analyst Lands and Resources Department Anishinabek Nation rhonda.gagnon@anishinabek.ca 705 497-9127 ext. 2318 UOI Technical Working Group Members: Aaron Genereux, P.Eng Tribal Council Engineer OgemawahjTribal Council agenereux@ogemawahj.on.ca Office: 705-329-2511 ext 207 Karen Machado Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks Technical Operations Advisor, Indigenous Drinking Water Projects Office karen.machado2@ontario.ca London Office : 519-873-5140
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