Contamination forces Ontario First Nation to close school, fly in bottled water

Residents of a remote northern Ontario First Nation are in crisis mode after the community's drinking water was contaminated because of broken pipes, forcing officials to shut down the school and fly in bottled water.

Photos shared on social media show discoloured waterthat has come out of taps on the Weagamow First Nation, also known as North Caribou Lake First Nation.

"All last week there was no school," ChiefDinah Kanate said. "We closed down for the whole week.... There's no water in the community."

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Bottled water for 2 more weeks

The problem stems from four ruptures that were found in pipes that carry water from a treatment facility to homes, according to Kanate.The pump from the water plant itself is alsobroken, she said.

The federal government said it is working on the problem.

"The water system leak has now been isolated and work is underway to restore water service as quickly as possible," read a statement from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. However, Liberal MP Robert Naulttold the Canadian Press that the community could be without water for two weeks.

Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN), a political organization representing First Nations in northwestern Ontario, has been delivering bottled water to the community since Nov. 8. A total of 800 cases of water have been shipped so far.

A spokesperson from Nishnawbe-Aski Nation said the water-treatment facility was built in the 1990s and had been operating over capacity, with limited human resources for maintenance and repairs.

The Liberal government has vowed to end water problems in First Nation communities within five yearsand recently announced that $4 million has been earmarked to fix water systems in northern Ontariothough Kanateremains skeptical.

"Right now, the way our situation is, I haven't seen anything,"Kanatesaid.

Children with rashes

Some people in the community of 900 are also reporting an outbreak of skin rashes among children.

JulieKenequanash, who has two children,said a rash broke out on her eight-year-old son's face after he took a shower. A doctorhas prescribed an antibiotic to treat it.

"He doesn't want to take a shower," saidKenequanash. "We've been living on boiled water and bottled water."

Her 17-year-old son accidentally drank a cup of tap water two days ago and is now complaining of a sore tongue.

According to the INAC website, there are 139 First Nations under boil-water advisories;35 of those communities are represented by NAN.