Sandy Lake
Interim upgrades to water treatment system complete, long-term expansion and upgrades underway
Project tracker
Projected lift date: December 2023
Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario is home to 2,687 people living on the reserve. The community, with funding support from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), has completed interim upgrades to its water treatment system to address the long-term drinking water advisory. At the same time, Sandy Lake First Nation is expanding and upgrading its water treatment system to meet future safe drinking water needs. Construction of this long-term solution is underway.
Sandy Lake First Nation has 1 long-term drinking water advisory in place:
- a boil water advisory for the Sandy Lake Water System was set in October 2002 and became long-term in October 2003
The advisory affects 400 homes and 15 community buildings.
Interim upgrades were completed in July 2020. The Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation Centralized Water and Wastewater Hub, funded by ISC, has been supporting local operators to improve daily operations and water monitoring in the community. Consistent operations and monitoring to ensure stable water quality are required before the advisory can be lifted.
COVID-19, supply chain issues and weather-related challenges have affected progress on the long-term solution of expanding and upgrading the water treatment system. The project is now expected to be complete in late 2023.