Every other day, Derek Moonias drives 15 minutes to the airport in Neskantaga First Nation and fills his pickup truck with cases of bottled water flown in on the dime of the federal government.

The community some 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont. 含羞草研究社� accessible only by air and a winter ice road 含羞草研究社� has the longest boil-water advisory in the country at 29 years and growing. Many in the community have never lived at a time when the water coming out of the taps was declared suitable to drink.

On this morning, Moonias, the water distribution co-ordinator, is tired. A young mother called him overnight looking for clean water to make a bottle for her baby. He dug some up from his secret cache kept just for such occasions and rushed it over.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 very sad, man,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 depressing.含羞草研究社�

Moonias picks up about 95 cases a flight and serves 84 homes. In addition to that, half a planeload of clean water is needed for the community centre, the police and nursing stations, the band office and the school.

It含羞草研究社檚 nowhere near enough, he says.

After the airport, Moonias puts out a call to residents含羞草研究社� walkie-talkies that bottled water is available at the community centre. Residents soon converge to grab the cases as he keeps track of his clients.

含羞草研究社淲ater is my entire life right now,含羞草研究社� he says as he wipes his brow and lets out a deep sigh. 含羞草研究社淭he kids are my priority along with the Elders and medical clients.含羞草研究社�

Moonias has plenty of first-hand experience with the effects of the local water supply. If he drinks from the tap, which he rarely does unless there含羞草研究社檚 no more bottled water, he gets nauseous. Headaches and diarrhea soon follow. Showers leave him itchy and scabs eventually break out. His diabetes leaves him slow to heal.

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 nothing like a good shower in Thunder Bay,含羞草研究社� he says with a big grin. 含羞草研究社淣othing worse than a bad shower here.含羞草研究社�

The Canadian Press spoke to dozens of Neskantaga residents during a visit to the community in the summer of 2023. Water is, by far, their biggest worry and dominates every aspect of their lives.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e supposed to be in one of the best countries in the world, but here we are living in poverty, living with a 29-year boil water advisory,含羞草研究社� Chief Chris Moonias says in the community where many share the same last name.

含羞草研究社淐anada isn含羞草研究社檛 what you believe it is.含羞草研究社�

Life in Neskantaga comes with many challenges.

There含羞草研究社檚 a housing crisis 含羞草研究社� the First Nation has about 100 homes but needs at least double that to give its approximately 350 residents enough space to live comfortably. Currently, two-bedroom homes housing 10 or more people are common.

There含羞草研究社檚 no local high school, meaning children have to leave at 13 or 14 years old for further education. There is no doctor in the community and its nursing station faces constant staffing shortages. A state of emergency declared in 2013 over a rash of suicides remains in place. Opioids are an emerging worry, while alcohol still finds its way inside the dry reserve.

On top of all that, there is the water crisis.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

Skin problems such as scabs, sores and eczema are common in Neskantaga, says Sharon Sakanee, the First Nation含羞草研究社檚 health director. Gastrointestinal issues are also common. Many residents refuse showers, or limit them.

含羞草研究社淚 shower less because the itchiness hangs around,含羞草研究社� she says, explaining that her skin breaks out in patches of eczema.

含羞草研究社淲henever I leave and go to (Thunder Bay), I shower every day.含羞草研究社�

Very few residents bother with boiling water because no one drinks from the tap. Instead, the community relies on bottled water and more and more people are relying on two reverse osmosis machines that clean the water coming from the problem-plagued treatment plant. But those machines can break down.

One machine in Neskantaga含羞草研究社檚 lone store broke down last summer and parts weren含羞草研究社檛 expected for weeks.

The water problem has also left many with mental health issues, including anxiety and a loss of trust.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 stressful to families having to pick up water all the time,含羞草研究社� Sakanee says. 含羞草研究社淲ater is life, but when our water is always bad, life is hard.含羞草研究社�

Maggie Sakanee had no running water for three years when she lived in a temporary spot while her own house was being fixed up. She trekked down to the osmosis machine on the shore every day for water.

She lives with her seven-year-old grandson, who is the priority for bottled water. But it takes about 15 jugs of the 1.5-litre water bottles to give him a bath.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 always thinking about water, how to get it, when to get it, will it be enough, is it really safe,含羞草研究社� she says. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 tiring.含羞草研究社�

Her daughter, who now lives in Thunder Bay, refuses to drink the water from the taps even in that city.

Sakanee says she has lost trust in Neskantaga含羞草研究社檚 water.

含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 think I would ever drink water that came from a tap in Neskantaga,含羞草研究社� she says. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 our way of life now.含羞草研究社�

PARENTS UNDER STRESS

Twenty years ago, Ryan Moonias and his partner became parents. Bathing his baby boy was a challenge 含羞草研究社� they needed a water heater to warm up the small tub, which took hours, and his boy含羞草研究社檚 body consistently broke out in rashes.

含羞草研究社淚t was nasty,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淵ou could tell the water was disgusting, it was yellow.含羞草研究社�

The water problems, combined with a mouldy, crowded house forced his hand and the trio moved to Thunder Bay.

Two years ago, Moonias and his new partner, their seven-year-old son and their newborn, moved back to Neskantaga to be with family and friends. They wanted to return to the First Nation含羞草研究社檚 way of life, reconnect with the land and even the water. They knew the boil-water advisory remained, but felt they could handle it.

But the stress from the water problems became too much.

含羞草研究社淵ou含羞草研究社檙e always thinking, 含羞草研究社榳ill the baby drink the water, what will happen if they do?含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淎nd when the kids get rashes, it含羞草研究社檚 awful.含羞草研究社�

After 18 months, the family moved back to Thunder Bay, but it came at a cost.

含羞草研究社淚 miss my family, I miss my friends and I miss hunting and I miss Neskantaga,含羞草研究社� Moonias says. 含羞草研究社淏ut this isn含羞草研究社檛 our home anymore.含羞草研究社�

THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

In the late 1980s, the entire community packed up from its original home on a low-lying peninsula named Landsdowne House with the promise of a better life on higher ground 15 kilometres west. Building a new water treatment plant, distribution system and homes with proper plumbing sprang hope for a better way of life.

Neskantaga含羞草研究社檚 water treatment plant became operational in 1993. But its sand filtration system was never able to produce water clean enough to drink. On Feb. 1, 1995, the community declared a boil-water advisory. That advisory remains in effect today.

In 2015, newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to end boil-water advisories in First Nations by 2021. The federal government says 145 boil-water advisories have been lifted since that pledge.

But those advisories still exist in 30 First Nations 含羞草研究社� 20 of them in Ontario and none as long as Neskantaga含羞草研究社檚.

In 2017, the community, with financial support from the federal government, built a new filtration system for the water treatment plant, attaching a new building to the old one.

But problems persisted.

Just months after the new filtration system opened, Wilford Moonias noticed something strange. The former water plant operator saw an oily sheen in the holding tanks. Unsure what it was, the community declared a state of emergency and evacuated residents. Some 250 people lived in a Thunder Bay hotel for two months.

An investigation revealed a pump failure had caused mineral oil to seep into the water supply. Testing revealed high levels of hydrocarbons, says Moonias, who remains the community含羞草研究社檚 water distribution and sewage operator.

The Ontario Clean Water Agency now operates the plant on behalf of the First Nation. The company declined to comment.

On a warm summer day, Moonias details the water含羞草研究社檚 journey from Attawapiskat Lake through the treatment plant to the distribution pipes that run out of the building.

The water含羞草研究社檚 flow can be slow sometimes and other times is fine, he says. In basic terms, the lake water is cleaned as it wends through the plant. On this day, it pours clear into the plant含羞草研究社檚 reservoir. On other days, it is cloudy, Moonias says, because of high turbidity, which is a measure of particles in the water.

含羞草研究社淭he water is clean going into the reservoir,含羞草研究社� Moonias says. 含羞草研究社淏ut here含羞草研究社檚 where trouble starts.含羞草研究社�

He dips his hand into a massive tank, and when he slides it along the wall and pulls out, it含羞草研究社檚 covered in a green slime.

含羞草研究社淭his is a problem,含羞草研究社� he says.

He next hops in his truck to show his 含羞草研究社渞eal concerns含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� the water distribution system, the pipes that snake underground.

In some homes the water smells of chlorine, in others it comes out brown, and others have little pressure. In some homes the water is clear.

At one point, he points out a few fire hydrants near the plant.

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 very little pressure here, the hose won含羞草研究社檛 work,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淟et含羞草研究社檚 hope there含羞草研究社檚 no fire down here.含羞草研究社�

ELDERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Neskantaga sits on the shores of Attawapiskat Lake and River in the James Bay lowlands. The vast untouched area around the First Nation is flush with lakes and rivers. Water is everywhere.

The community含羞草研究社檚 dump lies a short drive away. Black bears, including several cubs, comb through the garbage as ravens chatter nearby. Empty plastic water bottles dot virtually every part of the site. Recycling is a challenge here.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 difficult to look at,含羞草研究社� Elder Alex Moonias says of the piles of empty bottles. 含羞草研究社淲e are not meant to live like this.含羞草研究社�

It含羞草研究社檚 hard for Elder Leo Moonias to look at the river as well.

含羞草研究社淚 look out onto the river, knowing I am supposed to drink to live, but I含羞草研究社檓 not allowed to drink that water or the water from the taps,含羞草研究社� he says in Anishininiimowin, also called Oji-Cree.

Elders would like to be able to drink water from the lakes and rivers around them, but community testing shows it is often not safe to consume without treatment.

Moonias shakes his head as he looks at three boxes of water bottles delivered that day.

含羞草研究社淵ou would not like it if you lived like this for close to 30 years,含羞草研究社� he says.

THE FUTURE

On Feb. 1 this year 含羞草研究社� the 29th anniversary of the initial boil-water advisory 含羞草研究社� Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu announced the federal government had agreed the community needed a brand new water treatment plant. Ottawa committed to help design the new plant and improve the current one.

含羞草研究社淓veryone in Canada should have access to safe and clean drinking water,含羞草研究社� Jennifer Kozelj, Hajdu含羞草研究社檚 spokeswoman wrote in a statement.

含羞草研究社淲e are committed to getting to a place where the community can feel comfortable in deciding to lift the boil water advisory.含羞草研究社�

The federal government recently introduced legislation called the First Nations Clean Water Act. If passed, it will establish minimum nationwide water standards and set principles for decision-making in an effort to ensure boil-water advisories become a relic of the past.

In Neskantaga, Chief Chris Moonias sighs at the always slow pace of progress when it comes to the water supply.

Residents have decided on a different location for the new water treatment plant. But there含羞草研究社檚 still no commitment to replacing the community含羞草研究社檚 pipes, a sore spot for the chief.

含羞草研究社淚 really don含羞草研究社檛 remember what it was like to have clean water,含羞草研究社� the 54-year-old says. Then he bursts into a big belly laugh.

含羞草研究社淢aybe I含羞草研究社檒l be dead by the time we have clean water here. But I hope to live to see that day. We deserve clean water.含羞草研究社�