On March 30, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt congratulated the community of Moosomin First Nation on the opening of their new water treatment plant. As a more efficient, less costly system, the new water treatment plant increases capacity to both meet the growing needs of the residents of Moosomin First Nation as well as to provide required fire-flow volumes for fire protection. The system also includes a built-in back-up power supply for water distribution and fire protection during power outages.
“Congratulations to the leadership and residents of Moosomin First Nation on the opening of a new water treatment plant,” Valcourt said. “Our Government is committed to working with First Nations to support strong and healthy communities. The opening of this new water treatment plant is a great example of what can be accomplished by working together.”
With an investment of more than $5 million from the Government of Canada, the new water treatment plant will provide the community, which is located 200 kilometres north of Saskatoon, the ability to process potable drinking water that exceeds all current Canadian drinking water guidelines.
Funding for the water system came from the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s First Nation Water and Wastewater Action Plan (FNWWAP). The Moosomin water treatment plant project began in 2010 with a feasibility study and utilized $5.6 million of FNWWAP funds.
“Access to a reliable, clean and healthy water supply impacts all areas of our community, from quality of life for our members, to opportunities for economic development, to our overall safety and well being,” said Bradley Swiftwolfe, the chief of the Moosomin First Nation. “This is an investment that will benefit everyone in our community today and for years to come.”
