Wabigoon Lake wins another water challenge

Wabigoon Lake won its second award for drinking water quality in the past six months even though its source water is often muddy.
“To take that water and its colour and win for the best water quality for this community takes a lot of doing,” said Wabigoon Lake Chief Ruben Cantin. “When the dam was built at the turn of the century, it was a clear water lake. But when it was raised nine-and-a-half feet, you could really see the turbidity of the water. When it’s a windy day, you can put your hand in the water and you can’t even see it.”
Marcel Shabaquay, Wabigoon Lake’s water plant operator, won the Mandamin Cup for best water in the north at the Aboriginal Water and Wastewater Association of Ontario’s 18th Annual Conference and AGM, held from March 18-22 in Sault Ste. Marie. The Mandamin Cup was named after Elder Josephine Mandamin in honour of her waterwalks around all five Great Lakes and down the St. Lawrence River.
Shabaquay also won the 18th Annual Water Taste Challenge last October at the 58th Annual Northwestern Ontario Water and Wastewater Conference.
“It was surprising that we won it again — last year was something and this year, it was like no way, not again,” Shabaquay said, noting the water was judged for clarity, colour, turbidity and chlorine residual. “That was awesome.”
Shabaquay said the community has taken a greater interest in the water treatment plant since he won the second award, noting that students from Wabigoon Lake’s Wabshki-Penasi School were among those who toured the plant.
“When I first got back, I had everybody coming to the water plant to see the trophies,” Shabaquay said. “A lot of people are coming down to see what kind of treatment plant we’ve got and where the water comes from. The school and the kids were all interested once they found out we won.”
Mitaanjigamiing’s Desmond Jordain also won the Paul Strohach award for northern operator of the year at the conference and AGM, which featured two days of training by the Keewaytinook Center of Excellence, Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation and Walkerton Clean Water Center.
“All the credit belongs to Marcel because he is a very dedicated worker,” said Cori Brown, Wabigoon Lake’s heath director. “He’s done all his training, he continually goes for training.”
Shabaquay usually travels for more training every month at the Keewaytinook Center of Excellence or Walkerton Clean Water Center.
“There’s so many other operators that I meet — I’ve met two that have the same plant as mine,” Shabaquay said. “I ask them what they do when problems arise with their filter, their flocculator or their dosage pumps. It’s always good to have other people I can rely on like that.“
Although the lake is muddy, Cantin said the water treatment plant’s water intake is located far out in the bay near the location of the old Wabigoon River before the dam was built.
“This lake is fed in by clear water lakes,” Cantin said. “The live testimony our Elders had prior to the dam being built in Dryden is that they could see fish swimming around 25 to 30 feet under the water.”
Brown said the community used to be on a boil water advisory before embarking on a training program for water treatment operators.
“You’ve got to have really dedicated and committed workers because a lot of times, I don’t know how many First Nations are in the same position, but you can only afford one worker,” Brown said, noting that funding for the water treatment plant is insufficient. “It’s a lot of stress and pressure on that one worker to provide clean water for your whole community.”