Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice outlined the clean water plan for native reserves today, saying residents of First Nations communities should feel as safe about their drinking water as all Canadians.

"It is unacceptable that many First Nations communities across Canada continue to face ongoing risk to the safety of their drinking water," Prentice told a news conference in Ottawa.

The government has a five-point plan for improving water standards on native reserves, which includes:

• Set standards for the design, construction, operation, maintenance and monitoring of reserve water plants.
• Ensure all systems are overseen by certified operators by 2007.
• Kick-start action plans for 21 First Nations considered most at risk.
• Help develop related legislation with input from First Nations.
• Require regular progress reports.

Work is expected to begin right away in 21 communities identified as most at risk for waterborne health hazards.

Under the long-term plan, natives will be in charge of making sure reserves live up to federal standards for design, construction, operation, maintenance and monitoring of drinking water.

In the short term, the federal government will temporarily contract out water services to private companies.

According to Prentice, the problem with drinking water on reserves is not money. It has to do with accountability and standards, he said.

First Nations will be expected to meet federal or provincial standards, whichever is higher, or risk related funding, Prentice said.

"The water systems that this department will fund will be obligated to live up to the standards that are being put forward in this protocol."

Liberal native affairs critic Anita Neville called that an alarming plan.

"I find that very troubling," she told The Canadian Press in an interview.

"You don't threaten to withdraw funding when people's health and well-being are at risk."

Furthermore, the Conservatives are re-hashing Liberal commitments without maintaining $400 million in extra water-treatment cash promised under the landmark Kelowna deal for First Nations, Neville said.

That money was earmarked "on the basis of an assessment of what's needed in the department and a real commitment to make a change."

Prentice evaded the topic when pressed.

"I'm not addressing the issue of Kelowna today," he said of the $5-billion pact made last November by the Liberals, premiers and native leaders after 18 months of talks.

Prentice says that a $1.6-billion water fund pledged in 2003 over five years is enough to help the 21 high-risk First Nations, establish the plan and accelerate training.

As for the other communities struggling with contaminated water, the minister promised to tackle those "in the days and years ahead."

While Prentice came under fire from Neville, he earned the praise of the Head of the Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine.

"I applaud the decision taken by the minister to address these communities immediately. They are in crisis and their situation requires an immediate response," Fontaine said, appearing on CTV Newsnet's Mike Duffy Live.

Fontaine said he worked closely with the minister on the clean water plan.

"It's been very much a collaborative approach, and this approach began soon after he was sworn in as minister of Indian Affairs," he said.

"We've had many discussions, we've had meetings, and water was always a top priority with him."

Bad drinking water on First Nations made headlines last October when 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario community were evacuated while their water treatment plant was cleaned up.

Many residents of Kashechewan needed treatment for skin rashes and illness blamed on dirty water and poor sanitation.

A report released in November 2005 found that more than half the operators running water treatment plants on Ontario reserves lack the training needed, and many aren't certified.

The federally funded Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corp. said operators at only 60 of the province's 134 reserves have been provided personal training by the advisory group.

In 2001, Indian Affairs found a significant risk to the quality or safety of drinking water for three-quarters of reserve systems.

Kashechewan is not on the list of 21 most at-risk reserves although it's still under a boil-water order until frozen water pipes can be disinfected in the spring.

The reserves considered by Indian Affairs consultants to be most at-risk for waterborne hazards:

• New Brunswick: Woodstock, Pabineau
• Quebec: Kitigan Zibi
• Ontario: Constance Lake, Shoal Lake No. 40, Moose Deer Point, Northwest Angle, Ochiichagwe'babigo-ining, Kingfisher, Muskrat Dam Lake, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway
• Alberta: Dene Tha', Driftpile, Frog Lake
• British Columbia: Shuswap, Toosey, Toquaht, Lake Babine (Fort Babine), Canoe Creek, Semiahmoo, Taku River Tlingit

With files from The Canadian Press