It came to light at a recent Regional District of Bulkley Nechako (RDBN) board meeting that the Nautley Indian Reserve (Nadleh Whut鈥檈n First Nation), just east of Fraser Lake, has a sewage containment issue.

The septic field on the reserve is located downstream of Fraser Lake on the shores of the Nautley River. The Nautley river is a short channel connecting Fraser Lake to the Nechacko River.

Ken Nooski, maintenance manager on the reserve, is concerned about greywater that has been leaking into the Nechako River from the reserve鈥檚 sewage treatment facility.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got a small leak,鈥� said Nooski. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got some greywater going into the Nechako River.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e been on it for years and years,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e tried to get Indian Affairs to give us some funding to fix it.鈥�

The reserve鈥檚 sewage treatment operates through septic leaching, a system where perforated, underground pipes allow naturally treated and pathogen-deactivitated waste to re-enter the environment.

Northern Health (NH) is aware of the issue, but it is outside their jurisdiction.

鈥淭he leaking system is on First Nations land where Northern Health does not have jurisdiction,鈥� said Eryn Collins, NH spokesperson.

Collins added that NH was advised that the leak was minor and that steps were being taken to deal with the issue.

According to Nooski, the band has been pumping out the septic holding tanks frequently to prevent overflow from going into the river.

But pumping cannot be a long-term solution.

鈥淭he ground is saturated,鈥� Nooski speculated. 鈥淭he holding tank goes out into the field, but I think the ground is past its life. The water doesn鈥檛 seep into the ground like it鈥檚 supposed to.鈥�

On May 17, 2013, an unidentified member of the Nadleh Whut鈥檈n First Nation notified Emergency Management BC (EMBC) that a sewage leak was observable.  The EMBC immediately notified the Ministry of Environment, RDBN, and Aboriginal and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) .

The RDBN regards the issue to be subject to federal jurisdiction, but they did refer the matter to NH.  But NH, as noted earlier, also has no jurisdiction in the matter.

Nooski expressed frustration at the slowness of response to the reserves sewage treatment problems.

鈥淭his has been ongoing for years,鈥� Nooski added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a serious thing, especially the way we value the water鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e been studied to death,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey dig holes, they do percolation [soil] tests, but the ground is saturated.鈥�

The Ministry of Environment referred the matter to AANDC.

According to the AANDC, $173,000 has been provided for 鈥榝easibility studies to review and assess sewage maintenance problems at Nadleh Whut鈥檈n First Nation,鈥� although at press time it is not clear if the money has already been used to complete a study or if studies are ongoing.

On June 13, 2013, an AANDC spokesperson said there is no leak of septic fluids into the Nautley River, and referred the matter to Environment Canada. As noted earlier, the Nadleh Whut鈥檈n have been pumping the holding tanks to prevent overflow.

Environment Canada was not available for response at press time.

It is not clear when - or if - waste water under federal jurisdiction, which travels downstream, becomes a regional and provincial concern.