Province, city to compensate North Battleford, Sask., tainted water victims
The Government of Saskatchewan and the City of North Battleford are set to compensate young people who became sick in the city's 2001 tainted water scandal.
Earlier this month, a class-action lawsuit worth $3.3 million was approved by the courts. Anyone under the age of 18 who got sick between March 20 and April 25, 2001 is able to apply for financial compensation, as long as they haven't already been paid.
In 2001, people in North Battleford became sick after drinking water contaminated with the parasite cryptosporidium. People became sick with flu-like symptoms and gastrointestinal issues.
Individual settlements will range from $750 and upward. Compensation will be linked to how sick the person became, and for how long. As a result, may claimants will need medical documentation to prove their claims.
Claimants will have to sign an affidavit that they were in North Battleford at the time, drank tap water and became sick.
People will be able to make claims until Nov. 25. After that, no more claims will be accepted
Around 800 people who got sick had already been compensated in previous out-of-court settlements.
According to the province, Saskatchewan made major changes to its drinking water rules after the incident. Many water treatment plants were updated to make water safer and more pure.
