Millions in funding announced to expand Six Nations water treatment plant

Indigenous Services Canada has announced multi-million dollar funding for the expansion of a water treatment plant at the Six Nations of the Grand River.

The new infrastructure will move clean drinking water to two elementary schools and also benefit 2,000 homeowners.

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Michael Montour, director of public works for Six Nations of the Grand River, told CBC K-W he is ecstatic to hear the news and calls it an historic announcement for his community.

"We haven't expanded for at least a decade or two," Montour said. "It has been quite a journey to get to this point but we're here and it took a lot of everyone's time and effort to get here."

He said the existing water distribution system services 1 in 11 residents, which works out to so about nine percent of the population. With this expansion, that will at least double.

The community opened a water treatment plant outside Ohsweken in 2013 that could treat water for more than 13,000 living on the reserve but as of last year only nine percent of the population had access to treated water. And the project was still running a deficit.

Montour said this expansion will at least double that figure.

The contract for the job has already gone to tender and closes next week. Montour said work will begin in late February or early March.

The exact figure of the funding is not being released at this time because the amount could influence those bidding on the project, officials said.