“Another review that warms my heart. Canadians must demand that their MPs and MLAs make safe drinking water a key issue in their portfolios and in elections.”

“Hello Susan,

Thank you so much for writing this book. I picked it up on the ferry, on my way to an asset management conference where a lot of ‘suits’ were droning on about services they could offer to everyone in infrastructure management.

I am a water operator in a vast and spectacularly beautiful area. The First Nations history here is colourful, fascinating and documented in various ways. I have just stepped into a role where I am tasked with dealing with the piranha-feeding engineers (as I call them). It is another sad story of them taking the lion’s share of the capitol projects money, designing over-complicated systems, and leaving us operators to gradually, and at great expense, put it back to the simple, functional, maintainable way it was before.

I am sooo frustrated. I love this place, but they are ruining it. And all they see is the money. They know who to wine and dine. Your book and this role I play and this world full of greedy corporate wars leaves me sad, but it’s those relationships you form, usually when in need or trouble, or when you put yourself out there and selflessly help as did your entire family; those are the important things that help sustain you.

Thank you for standing up for good people, excellent values, and for doing that ‘woman thing’, of selflessly serving a heartfelt cause, despite the toll it took on you. I don’t think those in charge would ever endorse an IBROM treatment system here, but I will definitely put a bug in their ear and research it.

(Oh darn! I’m sorry I missed signing your petition.)”

“I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever wondered why in 2024 we still have Boil Water Advisories and for anyone who cares about social justice and reconciliation. The subtitle of Susan’s book, Witnessing Justice Denied - The Fight for Safe Drinking Water in Indigenous and Rural Canada clearly shares the work that Susan and her late ex-husband, scientist Dr. Hans Peterson dedicated themselves to with the Safe Drinking Water Foundation (SDWF) for decades in Saskatchewan. Despite the success of the Biological Reverse Osmosis Membrane (IBROM) treatment system widespread use was undermined and blocked by vested interests within industry and all levels of government. In most areas of consequence in modern life governments develop and enforce regulations and laws but the quest for safe drinking water simply relies upon guidelines which are totally ineffective. While it is amazing to discover the science and politics behind the fight for safe drinking water the story of Susan’s life is equally compelling. It reveals both the toil upon the entire family as well as their strength and resilience. This is a book that Canadians need to read and insist government act upon.”

“A supply of clean water is something we all depend on to live a healthy life. In Water Confidential, Susan Blacklin (formerly Sue Peterson) highlights the obstacles she and her late ex-husband, Dr. Hans Peterson, faced while struggling to bring dependably clean water to Indigenous communities. The struggle is far from over. We should all take note; Canada, to its shame, has no water regulations, only guidelines. Since guidelines are unenforceable, we’re all at risk and cannot afford to be complacent. This book is a must read, first hand account of the Petersons’ massive efforts to ensure safe water provision for all. I highly recommend it.”

“A must read book that educates and exposes the inequities indigenous people face to acquire safe drinking water. Susan Blacklin weaves her personal challenges alongside the challenges of advocating for something that most of us take for granted: clean, drinkable water; a basic human necessity. A humanistic story of individuals who strive to advocate for those unable to and tries to empower a sustainable solution. An educational and powerful personal expose. Well worth the read! Congratulations Susan Blacklin!”

“This book is a compelling memoir not only of the work and advocacy of Susan Blacklin and her scientist ex-husband Dr. Hans Peterson, but also of the author’s personal life story in a harsh and often unforgiving environment.
Water Confidential is an eye opener about the uphill battle to secure clean drinking water for rural communities in general, and Indigenous communities in particular, a struggle that continues to this day, as governments are unwilling to accept their responsibility to legislate and enforce water quality standards for all Canadians.”

“An astonishing look at the state of water quality (or lack thereof) in Canada. As the wife of the late world renowned water scientist Hans Peterson, the author is able to provide unique insight into the challenges of the country’s far too recent history. Prepare to be educated. She also provides a glimpse at the complexities of managing a life with someone so driven to make change, sometimes at the expense of those around them.”

“Compelling! A disturbing account of how the Canadian government has completely failed First Nations by not providing them with safe, scientific water purification systems. You will be shocked and amazed at Susan’s strength and commitment to bring this disaster to the attention of all Canadians. Thank you Susan!”

“A shocking read. Canadian government officials should read this book which not only puts to shame our treatment of the Indigenous peoples of our country, but also raises alarm bells about our shoddy water guidelines. The author and her former husband scientist worked tirelessly to try to change things for the better but faced many obstacles.”

“This is a must read for all Canadians. It sure is an eye opener.”

“Many of us take it for granted that the water that comes out of our taps is clean and safe to use, yet as of May 2023 there were at least 55 drinking water advisories across Canada, mainly affecting Indigenous citizens. In Water Confidential, activist Susan Blacklin tells the story of her late ex-husband Dr. Hans Peterson, and their decades long fight to bring safe water to Indigenous communities across Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Access to safe drinking water was first recognised as a basic human right in international law in 2010, yet the Canadian government is failing to ensure this right is met. Some communities have had drinking water advisories for decades. Needing to boil water before use does not sound too onerous for those of us who have never had to live under one, but Blacklin brings home the reality of living with toxic, contaminated water for years on end. It means trying to ensure that a toddler does not consume a drop of water straight from the tap. It means not being able to use formula feed for babies because of a lack of safe water to make it up. It means having to take showers in water so toxic it causes sores on your body. Although boiling water kills many pathogens, it does not remove chemical pollutants and can increase their concentration.

Conventional water treatment methods remove some contaminants, and chlorination kills many pathogens, but they are not providing clean, safe water to all. Bitumen extraction in the Athabasca tar sands is leading to highly toxic chemicals seeping into groundwater and the Athabasca River. Communities in the same watershed have increased rates of rare cancers and reproductive issues. Long term drinking water advisories have also been associated with a whole host of health issues, including gastrointestinal issues, neurological issues, hypertension, kidney failure, and liver disease.

After years of research into the abilities of plants and microbes to remove contaminants, Dr. Peterson and his team of academics and activists developed the Integrated Biological Reverse Osmosis Membrane (IBROM) water treatment system which combined algae and microbes along with a reverse osmosis system to produce highly pure water. Not only was the IBROM effective, it had significantly lower running costs than conventional systems and without the need for high amounts of chlorine. In 2004 the first IBROM was installed at Yellow Quill First Nation in Saskatchewan, successfully lifting a nine-year drinking water advisory.

Having developed the IBROM system, Dr. Peterson and his team faced many barriers in getting them to communities that needed them. Blacklin details these roadblocks, and the frustration experienced by her and Dr. Peterson is clear to see. Much blame is laid at the doors of Indian Affairs (as the department was called then) and engineering companies determined to protect the status quo.

Blacklin gives a deeply personal account of the 15 years she was married to Dr. Peterson. Both immigrants, one from the UK and one from Sweden, they moved from Edmonton to a remote farm in Saskatchewan with Dr. Peterson leaving for months or years to work on projects. Left alone on the farm with a young family and various animals to care for, Blacklin gritted her teeth to get through some difficult years while also founding and running the Safe Drinking Water Foundation.

Throughout the book, Blacklin rightly draws attention to the shocking fact that Canada has no legally enforceable standards for drinking water at the federal level, only voluntary, non-binding guidelines. Water Confidential should be required reading for anyone concerned about water quality in Canada.

Dr. Hans Peterson died in October 2018 due to complications from diabetes. In a vicious irony he was ultimately poisoned by herbal remedies from plants grown in contaminated soils. He was not an easy man to live with, but his death was mourned by the many communities he had helped bring clean, safe water to.

I would like to thank the staff at North Grenville Public Library for their decision to stock this important book, and for highlighting it in their section devoted to new books.”

“Susan Blacklin’s Water Confidential, is a hard-hitting account of experience, justified frustration, dismay and anger with Canada’s persistent failure to address fundamental water quality issues among the First Nations and many rural Canadians.

She presents first hand account of the work of her late former husband, Hans Peterson, undertook with her assistance in developing awareness and means of addressing water quality and sanitation issues among affected communities. Demonstrable successes among Canadian communities and greater public awareness in Canada as well as at the UN and were ultimately limited given the overall extent of the problems and support. Blacklin presents a heartfelt and convincing plea for the great need for continued work.

Obscured by the title and jacket blurbs is the considerable extent of personal biographical material Susan presents, setting the stage and continuing context for Susan’s work with Hans and the Safe Drinking Water Foundation they established. Reading the steps she and Hans took together in the context of their own personal issues make for an altogether compelling read.”

“A courageous journey of commitment to unveiling the failures of our government to deal with a basic human right. On the authors journey to help the Indigenous people was a personal journey which is shared with bravery and integrity.”

“This book was an eye-opener for me. The author’s unrelenting efforts on behalf of others and her entire life story are an inspiration.”

“This is a must-read book for anyone interested in equity, human rights, and Indigenous reconciliation. Well written with deep insights and expertise in the topic. This book belongs in every library and on every bookshelf across the country!

I checked out Water Confidential by Susan Blacklin from the library last weekend and highly recommend it to anyone interested in equity, human rights, and Indigenous reconciliation. This book belongs in every library and in every bookshelf across the country. Well done, Susan, for pouring your expertise and insights into an instrument of change!”

“‘Water Confidential’ is a compelling and eye-opening read that sheds light on a pressing humanitarian crisis. Susan Blacklin’s impassioned storytelling and advocacy make this book not only an informative resource but also a powerful catalyst for change. It is essential reading for anyone interested in social justice, indigenous rights, and environmental issues.

Blacklin challenges readers to confront the uncomfortable truths about water injustice in Canada and question whether “doing the right thing” will ever materialize for First Nations. The book serves as a stark reminder that significant work remains to be done to rectify these longstanding issues and ensure equitable access to clean water for all.”

“Susan Blacklin’s memoir, Water Confidential, should be required reading for all Canadians. With an inside look at how the system snuffs out innovation, this fine, thought-provoking book speaks the generally unknown truths about long-standing water injustices. Canadians should be very concerned—particularly those of us committed to real reconciliation with our Indigenous Peoples.

Her concerns and critical analysis also apply to many other Canadian communities—as she shows, many of the water quality problems that trouble Indigenous communities haunt many other rural water supplies without public awareness or appropriate treatment. In Water Confidential, Susan documents how the SDWF [Safe Drinking Water Foundation] was built with grit and great effort, with personal and family sacrifice.

With great honesty, she shows how various levels of government and other vested interests kept it from achieving widespread acceptance. This is a grand contribution to ecological and Indigenous justice.”