Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the House might be aware, over the course of the summer we had a situation in Hay River. My question is directed to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Can the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs update this House on the status of trucked water delivery in Hay River, especially to those communities that do receive trucked water delivery in Kakisa, Hay River and Enterprise? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that the communities have a contract with the water service deliveryman, and as far as I know, that contract is still in place. He, in turn, would get his water from the community of Hay River. As far as I know, the contract, unless things have changed, is still in place.
What measures does the department have in place in the worst-case scenario that the tap of water is actually shut off for the communities receiving trucked water for Kakisa, Enterprise and the Hay River Reserve?
We would work with the community to find other sources of water, be it bringing in water from another community, but again, my understanding is they do have a contract with the deliveryman who buys his water from the community of Hay River. But we would work closely with the community, and I think there have been some preliminary discussions as to one of the communities possibly looking at acquiring their own water treatment plant.
It’s quite clear in this budget that they really amass a lot of effort in ensuring that the public, especially the communities of the North, receive vital infrastructure projects, especially in the Deh Cho where a water source is very vital and, of course, an intrinsic value that is given to the public.
My question to the Minister is: Would the Minister commit to entertaining, at least his department, supporting and facilitating a dialogue among communities to look at some immediate alternatives in terms of striking the possibility of doing a business case analysis of building their own water treatment plants?
Since the gas tax and the community infrastructure money were introduced a few years ago, a lot of the communities have built their own water treatment plant. There have been a few communities that have teamed up and did a bundled water treatment plant where, with economies of scale, they would get it a little cheaper. But we have money that’s allocated for this particular type of initiative. It’s $28 million that we divide amongst the communities across the Northwest Territories, and then they determine that a water treatment plant is a priority, and they do have the tools in place to make it happen. A lot of the communities are doing that again.
We will work closely with the Member’s communities if they wish to have our staff come in and start the dialogue as to how they best can acquire a water treatment plant using the experience we’ve had with many of the other communities that have put their own water treatment plants in.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has publicly stated that, indeed, it is up to the communities. The concern from the communities is getting caught with the… If they do build water treatment plants in their communities, their concern is in terms of the operations and maintenance.
The Minister, at this point, has indicated yes, he is quite willing to support the idea of having his staff go into the communities to ensure that there is some dialogue amongst the communities.
Can the Minister commit to ensure that happens, that indeed his department officials will perhaps go to Kakisa and Enterprise and see if responsibilities of developing a business analysis, in terms of a cost analysis of whether it’s viable to perhaps have a water treatment plant in either one of those communities? Would the Minister commit to that? Yes or no?
I will say yes with an explanation. I will commit to having our staff go into the communities, upon invitation from the community, to start discussing some of their options and start discussing how the O and M may be affected if they do get a water treatment plant. We will, again, upon invitation, go into these communities and start the discussion with them.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
