Largest First Nation reserve in Canada files lawsuit over unsafe drinking water

Canada’s largest First Nation is taking Ottawa to court over unsafe and inadequate water systems that don’t reach most homes on its reserve, demanding an immediate fix and at least $25-million in compensation.Six Nations of the Grand River is situated within Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe, the most densely populated region in the country, where millions of residents can drink from taps connected to vast municipal distribution networks.Yet Six Nations faces a starkly different reality: a modern water-treatment plant reaches just 30 per cent of the community’s 13,000 residents. The remaining 70 per cent rely on a patchwork of unmonitored wells and cisterns that have tested high for harmful bacteria and other contaminants, according to a statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court.