Today, March 22, is World Water Day. Public drinking water and wastewater services are fundamental human rights. Yet these rights are currently denied to many Ontarians. That’s why CUPE Ontario is working with labour and community allies to secure clean and safe public water services for all.
Contaminated water and a lack of adequate sanitation on Ontario’s northern First Nations communities jeopardize the health and well-being of thousands of indigenous people. 62 First Nations communities across the province are currently on boil water or do not consume advisories.
The CUPE Ontario Aboriginal Council has launched a campaign, “Water Connects Us”, urging the federal government to implement a national water policy that ensures Indigenous access to clean water and recognizes public drinking water and wastewater services as human rights.
Multinational corporations are also trying to privatize our water through public-private partnerships, contracting out, and extracting water to sell at a profit. CUPE Ontario has long worked with the Council of Canadians to curb these practices and to ban the use of bottled water in school boards and municipalities.
On World Water Day, we pledge to redouble our efforts to stop water privatization and to secure safe public water and wastewater services for all Ontarians. Visit cupe.on.ca/waterconnectus and take action today.
