Approximately 700 people who got sick after drinking contaminated drinking water in North Battleford more than 15 years ago will be able to get compensation starting Wednesday.

A waterborne contaminant called cryptosporidiosis—which causes diarrhea, stomach pain, dehydration, nausea and vomiting—was identified in the spring of 2001, impacting a total of 7,000 people.

Kimberly Richardson was a victim of the water contamination when she was 20 years old.

“I remember three weeks a month I was just off, lots of gastrointestinal issues. I remember my mom saying, ‘You know, you’ve never been like this before.’ I lost a ton of weight,” Richardson said from her home in North Battleford.

A fund of $3.3 million split between the province and the city will be used to compensate people, but Richardson does not qualify.

Compensation will only be given to those who were under the age of 18 at the time when feeling ill from the city’s water.

“Rather than putting everybody through a long, long process of litigation, to make sure at least those who were under the age of 18 in 2001 get some kind of compensation,” said Max Bilson with the province’s ministry of justice civil law division.

Settlements will start at $750 and go up from there. Compensation will be based on length and severity of the individual’s illness and medical documentation from the time of the outbreak will be required. Claimants will also need to swear an affidavit before receiving their settlements.

“It’s a victory for anyone under 18 who got sick. It’s been since 2001 and at least a decent chunk of people will reach a resolution,” said Brad Jamieson, who  works at the firm that filed the class-action lawsuit.

Claims can be made until Nov. 25, 2017.

This will be the third time the government compensatied  those impacted by the 2011 water contamination in North Battleford.

In August 2003, a total of $3.2 million was paid out to 700 people.  The following November, a total of $425,000 was given to100 people.

Since the incident in 2001, the provincial government has made changes to the regulations and enforcement of water management standards and operator training. The province says the changes have resulted in Saskatchewan having the lowest percentage of untreated wastewater in Canada.