Welcome to the HUB!

The OFNTSC’s HUB project launched in September 2020 with the goal of providing water and wastewater advisory and technical support services to the Unaffiliated First Nations as well as one Large First Nation in Ontario. In this short time, the HUB has demonstrated commitment and maturity as a new service by enhancing strong working relationships with clients and through the delivery of meaningful support services. 

Water and wastewater treatment facilities require a strong commitment to routine monitoring and regular maintenance and repair. This ensures the continuous provision of safe and reliable drinking water for all First Nation communities. Operators thus require specialized training and enhanced support mechanisms so that they can attain the knowledge and expertise to operate relevant systems with confidence. 

The HUB program supports communities’ water operators with 24/7 access to certified operator assistance, mentorship, and on-site support. Our team assists with maintenance and maintenance planning, instrumentation repair and calibration, procurement processes, and provides valuable ‘On the Job Training’ (OJT). 

Our service continuously strives to meaningfully assist all communities in attaining their safe drinking water goals. The HUB project works with communities to ensure water-related infrastructure and equipment contained within are periodically assessed and maintained. 

Through interviews with local operators and by conducting routine facility assessments, the HUB can identify existing and potential risks to drinking water systems. This has proven to be a highly successful preventative approach in determining existing and possible conditions that if not addressed could lead to an emergency. Once identified, HUB staff can accurately recommend remedial actions needed, and assist in this process until it can be resolved. 

Emergency HUB Services

OFNTSC’s HUB Hotline offers 24/7 response for communities in need of critical guidance or support related to electrical, mechanical, and technical issues that arise in member communities. 

24/7 OFNTSC HUB HOTLINE: 1-833-544-6424

Building Operator Capacity

Our goal is to assist local operators in building their capacities to ensure safe and reliable drinking water production in their communities. One key focus of our service delivery is meaningful maintenance management practices at the facility level, where historically this has generally been identified as a shortfall, the HUB endeavours as a resource to improve these conditions. To deliver on this focus, the HUB utilizes a computerized maintenance management system to assist in scheduling routine maintenance and tracking unplanned maintenance activities. We work with local operators to determine their facility-specific operational and maintenance needs and assist in developing comprehensive maintenance management plans that can be applied through the computerized system, ultimately with the goal of improving the overall reliability and longevity of treatment facilities.

Accomplishments since 2020 include the following: 

• With the implementation of the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) tracking work performed and/or services provided has become seamless. 
• Since May 2020, the number of Long-Term Drinking Water Advisories and the duration of short-term drinking water advisories have reduced significantly.
• Developed standard operating procedures to remediate HUB First Nations with BWA’s using a structured manufacturing approach to investigate, advise, action plan, and improve processes to help solve the BWA.
• Continuously reviews the majority of training requirements of all the HUB First Nation operators
• Issues work orders to track training, working with OFNTSC’s Circuit Rider Training Program team.
• Reviews the Emergency Response Plans (ERP) with operators as related to the water treatment plants for the HUB First Nations and is continuously updating, modifying, and publishing changes.