Chippewas of the Thames First Nation residents told not to consume tap water

The 1,000 people who live in Chippewas of the Thames First Nation have been told not to drink the water coming out of their taps because of broken, aging infrastructure that can't keep up with the demands of the community, Chief Joe Miskokomon told CBC News.

"It's been a problem at Chippewa for decades," Miskokomon said.

"We have an inadequate delivery system and an inadequate filtration system, and so it's been a struggle to maintain quality water. The system is not good enough to meet the growing needs of our community."

Residents have been told to not use their tap water for drinking, cooking, brushing their teeth or using it for baby formula. Boiling the water will not make it safe, officials say. 

"It's unfiltered, raw water," Miskokomon said. "It goes through a two-stage filtration and the last stop is where the micro-organisms are being filtered out of the water. We're having trouble keeping that filter. It's supposed to last for a month, but we're going through them every three days." 

Pumps that should only run eight hours per day have been running 24-7, the chief said. 

"We're getting to the point where our system is so overworked and out of date that it can only handle so much. There needs to be a whole rethinking on how to do infrastructure within First Nations." 

The problem with the water was caught at 5 a.m. Monday, Miskokomon said. The nation is waiting for deliveries of specialized filters, he added. 

The fix is expected to take about a week. 

Water deliveries are being arranged and the water-fill station will be operating on extended hours, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Staff will be on-site to help fill and carry just for people who need assistance, Miskokomon said. 

The issue of poor water quality in First Nations communities has been frustrating for leaders and residents.

Residents who spoke with CBC News expressed that frustration, with several sharing concerns over having already consumed the water before the advisory was sent. 

Jeff French has been meeting with many of those residents, and helping them get their hands on clean water. 

The Chippewas resident said he's been working for four years at the water-fill station, where people from or near the First Nation can fill jugs of filtered water to take home.

By the early afternoon Monday, French said he had already seen dozens of residents stop by to fill water jugs with the station's water, which comes from a clean source with its own filters.

"I'm disappointed. It's frustrating," he said of the water issues. "I thought everything was going smoothly. It's been an ongoing problem."

French said he's heard plenty of similar concerns from people visiting the station.

"They're all scared, because you can't drink the water because it's polluted. My little cousin, he was here. He said, 'I drank like four pitchers of water last night,'" said French, who mentioned he also brushed his teeth with the water.

As officials with the First Nation work to fix the issue, Chief Miskokomon said water-related problems have been looming over the First Nation for roughly 20 years.

"It just speaks to the inability of government to address health and safety concerns and issues within First Nations, not only within Chippewa of the Thames First Nation, but quite truthfully, nearly every First Nation in southwestern Ontario and indeed, many across Canada."