Federal Government works on First Nations water legislation

The federal government is pushing through legislation for clean, safe drinking water on reserves.

But for many First Nations, especially those in remote areas, new regulations aren't bringing the kind of help they need right now.

The Slate Falls Nation in northwestern Ontario has lived for years with a boil-water advisory.

Chief Lorraine Crane says the lack of good, clean wat er means her community can't expand. And now, she and other leaders suspect the water may be responsible for a strange spike in the rate of miscarriages.

A recent national assessment of water on reserves said the federal government would have to invest 4.7 billion dollars over 10 years to bring First Nations water systems up to an acceptable par with the rest of the country.