Feds commit to funding clean drinking water pipeline to Oneida of the Thames First Nation
CBC
The federal government will pay for the 18-kilometre pipeline to finally give Oneida Nation of the Thames clean drinking water, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu told CBC News Monday morning.
""We will be there for the Oneida Nation. We're working out the details of how the funding will flow, but I want to reiterate the commitment of the government is that we will be there financially to support this work to completion," Hajdu said speaking on CBC's London Morning.
But the minister stopped short of saying how much the federal government is willing to pay to connect the community, which has been under a boil water advisory since 2019, to the Lake Huron water system. The pipeline and upgrades to the community's water distribution system is expected to cost about $57 million.
"I cannot commit to a specific dollar number. Those negotiations are still underway with the community but I can tell you that we will be there to complete this work to ensure that people have access to fresh water," Hajdu said.
The funding agreement and other details should be finalized this spring, and construction will start "as soon as possible" afterwards, Hajdu said.
"Ultimately, none of these builds are easy, so the understanding is that it might take up to 20 months to implement, but the sooner we get started, the sooner the Oneida people will have water coming out of their taps that they can drink."
Oneida leaders have negotiated a water supply agreement with the Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System. It's the same entity that supplies treated Lake Huron drinking water to municipalities across much of southwestern Ontario, including north London.
The closest connection point is near Mt. Brydges, 18 kilometres away.
Oneida Nation and Lake Huron supply have signed the agreement, the only missing signatory is the federal government, but that would also require the funding.