For the first time in decades, two remote First Nations communities in Lytton, B.C. have access to safe drinking water – thanks to a point-of-entry treatment system designed by University of British Columbia engineers in collaboration with the communities, industry and government.
The setup delivers a minimum of 400 litres a day per person. Water is drawn from nearby creeks and piped into a fridge-sized plant installed in the basement of each home. Simple filters screen out dirt and clays, and an ultraviolet irradiation unit eradicates harmful bacteria in the water.
The system began operation in November 2016, and the boil-water advisory was lifted two months later with no water quality issues since.
“It’s so nice to be able to drink water straight from the tap,” says Chief Janet Webster of the Lytton First Nation, who’s also a resident of the Spintlum reserve, one of the two communities now using the new system.
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Image via University of British Columbia.