Band councillor decries brown, smelly water pouring from taps on N.S. reserve
ST. PETERS, N.S. — Residents of a Cape Breton native reserve are fed up with the brown, smelly water that is coming out of their taps and want Ottawa to come up with a permanent fix, a council member said Monday.
Jocelyn Marshall of the Potlotek First Nation said there are high concentrations of manganese and iron in the water, discolouring it and causing a strong odour.
Most people are not drinking the water, or even bathing in it, she said.
“They’re not able to wash, they’re not able to do their laundry or their dishes,” she said from the community of St. Peter’s, about 75 kilometres south of Sydney. “We’re not able to use the water…The smell and the colour alone are enough to discourage anyone from drinking the water.”