An Indigenous community southwest of London remains under a state of emergency as it continues to deal with serious water issues.
The Oneida Nation of the Thames originally issued the state of emergency in mid-December as it dealt with all-time low water levels. At the time, residents were ordered to conserve water and to cease all non-essential use. Since then, water levels have gone from critically low to extremely high, ending the call to conserve.
However, with a boil water advisory that has been in effect since 2019 still in effect, officials on the First Nation have made the decision to keep the state of emergency in place.
"Quantity issues are being closely monitored and our quality issues are far from being resolved. Our community simply wants the basic human right of clean drinking water," Chief Todd Cornelius said in a statement issued Tuesday.
Cornelius commended Oneida staff and community members who did their part to conserve water over the holidays. What he now wants to see is a long-term solution to the area's water woes from the provincial and federal governments.
During the water shortage, the Oneida Emergency Control Group, along with representatives from Indigenous Services Canada, Emergency Management Ontario, Public Safety Canada, the City of London, Middlesex County, and the Ministry of Natural Resources, came up with the short-term fix that included trucking in water. The deliveries from a private water company came with a cost of $20,000 per day and the path to a long-term solution, a "long, drawn-out process" that has yet to be determined, according to Oneida officials.
“There has been unprecedented response from both media and the public, with invitations sent to government officials to come to the table with a meaningful solution with little to no response," said Pam Tobin, Oneida's chief executive officer. “This is simply unacceptable.”
The boil water advisory affects 546 homes and 22 community buildings on the First Nation.
A social media campaign launched after the state of emergency was declared encourages people to contact their local Member of Parliament (MP) to urge them to push for action. The public has also been donating water and cash to help support the Oneida Nation of the Thames bottled water delivery program.