Critics voice concerns over privatization of First Nations drinking water – APTN

May 15, 2015

Trina Roache
APTN National News
In his office down the road from Elsipogtog’s water tower, Simon Osmond turns on the tap. He won’t drink the water here. After all of the work he’s done studying water management systems on First Nations – he doesn’t trust it’s safe.

Osmond has worked on water issues on First Nations in the Atlantic region for years. He says the aging infrastructure, lack of training for water operators and a lack of money from Ottawa all add up to create a dangerous situation.

“What about when a First Nation community actually becomes a Walkerton,” says Osmond, who a senior policy analyst with the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations. “I don’t want that to be the basis for when the federal government will invest.”

Read more: http://aptn.ca/news/2015/05/15/critics-voice-concerns-privatization-first-nations-drinking-water/