Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Colville Lake (Aug 21/00) - The water's just fine up here says Behdzi Ahda First Nation band manager Joseph Kochon.

Recent tests of the water supply conducted by health inspectors from the Inuvik Regional Health Board, showed contamination of the drinking water supply.

Kochon said the high coliform counts were from one tank in the community and any suggestion that the water in Colville Lake is contaminated "is very untrue."

Chief environmental health officer for the Inuvik Regional Health Board, Bill Wrathall explained that coliform is an indicator organism, usually accompanied by other more harmful forms of bacteria.

The community pumps all of its water from Colville Lake. It has no water treatment facility and must rely on chlorination or boiling by residents.

"With any raw water source, you're going to get coliform," said Wrathall, later adding, "If you're drinking untreated water, something's going to happen sooner or later."

Kochon said people in his community have been boiling and chlorinating their water for years. He said each year the band gives out instructions for treating water.

"We are working toward getting a water treatment facility," said Kochon. "It's in the five-year capital plan and should be built in 2001 or 2002."