Septic service halt
Mohawk Council of Kanesatake. File Photo
Community members were upset to learn that the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) will no longer pay for services to empty septic tanks or make water calls, effective immediately.
The unsigned directive came on August 13 from MCK administrative staff, currently working independently of any political oversight or involvement.
While the MCK’s Facebook account said Finance, Housing, and Public Works are working to resolve the situation, Indigenous Services Canada said in a statement to The Eastern Door that the lack of these services does not conflict with the department’s commitments on community drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
“The services mentioned in the notice issued by Kanesatake Public Works concern private infrastructure, i.e. septic tanks or individual wells. Therefore, the installation, operation, and maintenance of individual systems remain the responsibility of the owners of those systems,” said Jennifer Cooper, a spokesperson for ISC.
She suggested there are no plans to reinstate this service.
“The department provided Kanesatake with one-time funding to implement a special project for the preventive replacement of private septic tanks. However, these services are not among the expenses routinely eligible under the department’s community infrastructure programs. The one-time funding for this project has now expired.”
