By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Source: NWOnewswatch.com
Eight new Water Operators are ready to begin providing safe drinking water to their communities as Class 1 Water Operators, after graduating from the Drinking Water Internship Program on May 21.
“Safe water should be a given anywhere. Having qualified operators are basically the last line of defence to protecting safe water in communities, and oftentimes we see capacity issues within Indigenous wild water operations, sometimes just a single individual running plants,” said Adam Peacock, the program’s senior manager.
The majority of the 15-month paid internship program is spent shadowing local operators in the student’s home communities, with some virtual training as well, according to Peacock.
A collaboration between Water First Education & Training Inc., Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council (AKRC) and Big Island First Nation, this internship is the seventh run of the program, which has already graduated 73 interns from 47 Indigenous communities since it began in 2017.
Peacock explained that the students learn how to operate their community’s treatment plant, from cleaning and disinfecting source water, to plant maintenance, to safety inspections and regulatory compliances.
The Anishinaabeg Kabapikotawangag Resource Council represents five Lake of the Woods First Nations, Wauzhusk Onigum, Ojibways of Onigaming, Northwest Angle #33, Big Grassy River and Animakee Wa Zhing 37.
“We want our communities to be self sufficient, and to have their own certified water treatment operators,” said AKRC director of operations Rhonda Nash.
In 2019, the five communities under AKRC didn’t have a water treatment program and had to contract Northwest Waterworks, Nash ssid. It was becoming too costly to continue down this route, so they joined with Water First Education & Training Inc. to deliver this program, she said.
This year has graduates from all five bands under AKRC, and Big Island First Nation.
Nash continued that she hopes the graduates inspire other community members to take the program to ensure there are enough water operators. She detailed hopes of one day having enough water operators to be on-call to assist other communities when in need.
“We want to see them move up to level four and become OROs (overall responsible operators) and maybe run the hub program one day,” said Nash.
Most of the internships, according to Peacock, are funded through donations as Water First is a registered charity. This year, Shooniya Wa-Biitong Training and Employment Centre provided both wages and benefits to students.
Peacock encouraged anyone interested in becoming a water operator to reach out.
The eighth run of the internship is currently taking place in Southern Ontario, with the ninth scheduled for this fall in Manitoba.
