Â uhtahîpânûhch nipii - Drinking Water Sources in Eeyou Istchee

Water is the essence of life. For thousands of years, our people in Eeyou Istchee depended on many nipii (water) sources. We traditionally gathered drinking water from springs, streams, and other sources on the land. Today, we still use these â uhtahîpânûhch sources for drinking water.

â uhtahîpânûhch - we have many places to get water from:

mûschichiwinâpu : spring water
kûnâpui : snow water
chimûnâpû : rainwater

Today, we often collect water from these sources in different containers to use at our camps or to bring home to our communities.

These sources of water, â uhtahîpânûhch,aren’t tested for possible germs on a regular basis.

When using water sources from â uhtahîpânûhch, follow the tips below to make sure water from these sources is clean and fresh.

_{Did you know? Tap water in our communities is drawn from natural sources and is filtered by local water distribution systems. Our Cree Nation Councils regularly test tap water for germs ensuring our water is safe to drink.}

Are all nipii (water) sources in Eeyou Istchee clean and safe?

Environment and Health Technical Report – Nituuchischaayihtitaau Aschii 2005-2009

From 2005 to 2009, the CBHSSJB Public Health Department did a study called Nituuchischaayihtitaau Aschii that looked at water quality from different sources.

They found that some drinking water collected from springs and streams, stored in containers, and used at camp, contained enough germs to make people sick.
This may be due to the containers used to collect spring water, or to the spring water itself.

To ensure water from these sources stays safe, it’s recommended to take certain steps (outlined below).

Recommendations for handling water from natural sources

1. Use a clean cloth to filter drinking water collected from natural sources.

2. Boil water gathered from natural sources for one minute before using it. It’s important for your health because boiling water kills most of the germs.

3. Regularly wash and disinfect containers, pails and jugs used to scoop water.

4. Don’t use plastic garbage bags to store water.

These bags are designed to store garbage, not water. They contain chemicals that may harm your health.

5. Best practices for camp slop pails:

Have one place where you throw away all wastewaters. Always use the same location.

^{Wash and disinfect containers and jugs used to scoop water}

^{When washing containers, jugs, and lids: Use soap and warm water.}

^{To disinfect containers, jugs, and lids:}^{Use 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1 litre of water. Soak container for 10 minutes. Air dry.}

_{Boil water for 1 minute}

_{Boiling water for one minute kills most germs that cause disease and make you sick.}

_{After boiling water for one minute, let it cool down before filling plastic containers.}

_{Plastic containers may not be able to handle hot water, depending on the quality of the plastic.}

_{Protect your family from burns. Handle boiling water with care.}