Oneida celebrates World Water Day with dreams of a pipeline to clean drinking water

Oneida Nation of Thames is celebrating World Water Day by dreaming of clean drinking water.

Oneida Nation of Thames (ONOT) is celebrating World Water Day (WWD) by dreaming of clean drinking water.

They are finally getting a pipeline that will transport water from Mount Brydges directly to Oneida.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for our community to finally have clean drinking water,” said Rob Cornelius, manager of Oneida Public Works water department. “It’s been a long time coming.”

The Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System (LHPWSS) board formally approved contracts for a critical pipeline project.

This milestone marks the end of a long journey involving boil water advisories and water conservation measures that have impacted the community since the fall of 2019.

The project is currently in the tender phase and construction on the $26.8-million project could begin by May.

On WWD, community members gathered in the local community centre to talk about the importance of water to the Indigenous community.

“We do have a lot of relations to water,” said ONOT Chief Todd Cornelius. “Water is life, so we do have a lot of connections to water.”

For years, Oneida Nation has relied on water drawn from an aquifer linked to the Thames River. This source has become increasingly compromised by farmland runoff and outflows from larger upstream communities, leading to persistent health concerns.

The situation necessitated a state of local emergency declared in spring 2022 to manage water resources.

On March 5, the LHPWSS board finalized contracts for the project.

“A lot of municipalities circling around us have clean drinking water and a lot of them are surprised in our situation and our condition,” said Chief Cornelius. “We are stepping it up and trying to keep up with our neighbors in regard to clean drinking water.”

He added, fire protection coming to the community will be big news.

“We do have a water training facility, it has not been upgraded,” said Rob. “It’s hard on the people. They have to come here to grab their bottle of water and even having to boil water it’s very time consuming. It’s just a basic necessity of life that you should have to go through.”

The citizens currently have to go to the community centre every week to pick up bottles of water which are delivered by skids every Tuesday.

“It’s going to be a game changer for us,” added Rob. “Infrastructure is going to be a lot better now. We can develop housing more and it’s going to be a big positive for the community.”

Strathroy-Caradoc Mayor Colin Grantham, who also serves as LHPWSS vice chair, confirmed the project could be completed by this time next year.

“It’s extremely gratifying,” Grantham told CTV News, reflecting on the community’s long-standing water challenges. “As mayor of Strathroy, Caradoc, they’re our neighbors...I’ve been fully aware of the water situation, especially in Oneida.”

The approved contracts include a bid from L82 Construction Ltd. for the main pipeline construction. Consulting services for Stantec Consulting Ltd. will also be extended through the construction period.

This comprehensive initiative represents a crucial investment in public health, safety, and economic development for the Oneida Nation, promising a future of secure and reliable water access.

With files from CTV London’s Gerry Dewan