SDWF is urgently in need of donors. Every penny and every drop counts!
Unfortunately, all of the funding for Operation Water Drop and Operation Water Pollution kits through the Green Street website has been used. Many teachers are on the waiting list for sponsored Operation Water Drop and Operation Water Pollution kits. If you would like to use the Operation Water Drop and/or Operation Water Pollution program in your classroom and need a sponsored kit please e-mail the following information to info@safewater.org: your school's name, complete mailing address, what type(s) of kits and how many of each type of kit you would like. We will add your school to the growing waiting list.
Canadian Teachers are Waiting for Over 1300 Sponsored Kits to be Sent to their Schools
Canadian teachers are currently waiting for over 1300 sponsored Operation Water Drop and Operation Water Pollution kits to be sent to their schools. Individuals and companies can sponsor kits for schools. If you/your company sponsors kits, you/your company will be acknowledged in the letter that accompanies the kit. You can even decide in which geographic area your kits will be dispersed. Please e-mail info@safewater.org if you would like to sponsor Operation Water Drop and/or Operation Water Pollution kits or if you would like more information.
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To view the recordings of previous webinars please click here. For more information about our webinars and/or to register for webinars click here.
Thanks to our sponsors!
SM Blair Foundation
A big thank you to all of our anonymous donors as well.
Operation Water Spirit is also available in Cree (audio and written files), it is designed to enrich and promote Aboriginal culture for Aboriginal children while teaching non-Aboriginal children about the need for respect of sensitive beliefs and social injustice surrounding water and other natural resources. Read more...
While it is hard for many rural communities to provide safe drinking water, the situation in First Nations communities is especially difficult. Since 1995, a number of reports have highlighted the unacceptable situation in these communities. Health Canada still tells 95 communities to boil their water and Indian Affairs says that there is a good chance that water systems in 85 communities could break down. Without a proper regulatory framework and enough resources, First Nations will continue to face this risk to public health. We work with First Nations to improve public policies to make sure that First Nations get the system and resources they need.
Regulatory Consultations
On the recommendation from an independent report, the Federal Government committed in its budgets to work towards implementing a new system for First Nations drinking water. The government is organizing a series of engagement sessions in 2008-2009 to consult with First Nations on what this system would look like.
This is an important opportunity to create a better system that helps First Nations provide safe drinking water. However, the government must give First Nations a real and meaningful chance to shape how the laws that will regulate their drinking water. The Safe Drinking Water Foundation is working to make sure that First Nations understand the issues and options at hand and the sessions offer a real opportunity for consultation. For more information, consult our series of background articles.
How to Find Out More
If you want to find out more, we have a selection of background articles that provide an overview of the situation and examine the issues involved. As well, we have put together a library of relevant reports on First Nations drinking water. We will continue to update this section with new information as it becomes available.
The recommended text for Band Council Resolutions (BCRs) to help your community reject the downloading of responsibility for safe drinking water from the Federal government until such a time that the resources are in place to be able to produce safe drinking water.
Read any of the following reports issued by the government:
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA REPORTS SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS IN IMPROVING FIRST NATION WATER QUALITY — in less than two years, Government reduces the number of high-risk First Nation water systems by over half.
AAWTT is a team of volunteer participants dedicated to the advancement of water treatment processes on aboriginal reservations in Canada. Team members will help each other resolve water treatment problems when using advanced water treatment processes. The team is supported by one groundwater laboratory located at Gordon’s FN, Saskatchewan (almost completed), and one surface water laboratory (paid for by band funds) located at Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Alberta. At these two locations R&D into advanced water treatment processes is carried out on a daily basis. Both laboratories are integrated with the regular operation of advanced water treatment processes. Each plant will also become part of the bigger picture where improvements are being documented and shared with other participants.
Operation Water Drop:
Operation Water Drop (OWD) is the Safe Drinking Water Foundation’s longest standing education program! Elementary kits allow teachers to demonstrate to students how to test their community drinking water for 8 parameters included in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. High school kits allow students to conduct hands-on tests for 13 different parameters and compare their results to other urban and rural treated drinking water supplies, a raw source water sample and Canadian guidelines vs. U.S. and EU regulations. OWD is also available in French. The DVD “Downstream” is included in every OWD kit!
Operation Water Pollution:
Operation Water Pollution (OWP) can be taught in science and social studies, OWP kits educate students about the various forms of water pollution, how water pollution affects the world, how it is cleaned up, and what they can do to help. Digital TDS and pH meters are included in the kit and students learn why they are important factors to be monitored and why they should be kept at appropriate levels. OWP is also available in French. The DVD “Crapshoot” is included in every OWP kit!
Operation Water Flow:
Operation Water Flow (OWF) gives students a greater understanding of economic, social and environmental concerns surrounding water issues in Canada. Operation Water Flow can be taught in math, biology, chemistry, science and social studies. Each of the lessons lead naturally into the many other programs now available from the Safe Drinking Water Foundation. OWF is also available in French.
Operation Water Spirit:
Operation Water Spirit (OWS) supports and encourages a greater understanding of Aboriginal culture and beliefs related to water issues. A teacher resource has been added to encourage and support teachers in introducing Aboriginal culture into their classrooms and a session on Aboriginal identity which is very compelling has also been added. There are many stories included for each grade level and the stories are now available in Cree in both written and audio versions.
Operation Water Health:
Operation Water Health (OWH) provides an opportunity to investigate health issues such as waterborne illnesses and contaminated water, and encourages students to do their part to “make a difference”. OWH is also available in French.
COMING SOON!
Operation Water Biology:
Operation Water Biology (OWB) includes hands-on experiments and activities that demonstrate many of the principles of the water treatment process to students. It begins with the way that different chemicals are used and dealt with by conventional treatment facilities and proceeds to show new and interesting ways that natural biological processes can be used to produce exceptionally pure water while minimizing chemical use and environmental impacts.
Operation Community Water Footprint:
Operation Community Water Footprint (OCWF) allows students to analyze how efficient the process of converting fresh water to treated drinking water is in their communities. Then, they can “place their community on the map” on the Safe Drinking Water Foundation’s website (www.safewater.org) and compare their community’s water footprint to that of other communities and take action if their community’s water footprint is too large.
A donation of only $3.00 from each person who visits would help to ensure the delivery of our popular education programs OWD, OWP, OWF, OWS, OWH, OWB and OCWF to teachers across Canada. Currently, Canadian teachers are waiting for over 1300 sponsored Operation Water Drop and Operation Water Pollution kits to be sent to them. Donations will also allow our AAWTT to make it possible for water treatment plants in First Nation communities to produce safer drinking water.
Individual members will receive their choice of the DVD "Downstream" or the DVD "Crapshoot". If individual members provide a donation of $20.00 or more in addition to the minimum $20.00 amount then they will receive both the DVD "Downstream" and the DVD "Crapshoot".
Community and Corporate members will receive both the DVD "Downstream" and the DVD "Crapshoot".
Thanks to our corporate sponsors:
SM Blair Foundation
* We are non-profit, non-governmental, registered Canadian charity #868384892 and we issue official receipts for income tax purposes for donations of $10.00 or more.
