JAN 28, 2022
Boil water advisory lifted in Iqaluit
Bypass system continues to be used, with water treatment plant still shut down
The water in Iqaluit’s bypass system has been deemed safe to drink without boiling, says the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Health. Iqaluit had been under a boil water advisory since Jan. 19 as a precautionary measure because the city is pumping water from Lake Geraldine through a pipe that bypasses the water treatment plant....
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/boil-water-advisory-lifted-in-iqaluit/
JAN 27, 2022
‘Nobody knows for sure’ how Iqaluit’s water became recontaminated, says Patterson
Chief public health officer says city will continue to bypass treatment plant until this question is answered.
----- "Officials are still trying to figure out why fuel keeps showing up in the Iqaluit’s treated water system, even after the suspected source of last fall’s fuel contamination is now clean.
“The obvious question is where are these hydrocarbons coming from and at this point nobody knows for sure,” said chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson in an interview." -----
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/nobody-knows-for-sure-how-iqaluits-water-became-recontaminated-says-patterson/
JAN 26, 2022
Looking for accountability, Iqaluit resident urges public inquiry into water crisis
MP Lori Idlout echoes call on national radio; territorial leaders say third-party review is sufficient
_____ "As some in Iqaluit are calling for a public inquiry into how government leaders have handled the city’s water emergency, those who could call such an inquiry have not committed to such a step.
The city has been under a boil-water advisory for a week as officials try to determine how fuel keeps getting into the city’s water treatment system." --------
--------"Iqaluit resident Joseph Murdoch-Flowers sent a letter Jan. 20 to Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok, Justice Minister David Akeeagok, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout, and a list of other politicians, urging a public inquiry.
A third-party review doesn’t have the power or transparency of a public inquiry, mainly, a commissioner who can subpoena documents, said Murdoch-Flowers.
“[A third-party review] will fail to provide the public with the accountability, transparency and confidence that we expect and deserve,” Murdoch-Flowers wrote."--------
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/looking-for-accountability-iqaluit-resident-urges-public-inquiry-into-water-crisis/
JAN 28, 2022
Leaking water tanks force Grise Fiord to ration water
High Arctic hamlet facing water problems of its own while Iqaluit continues to struggle
____ "Iqaluit isn’t the only Nunavut community struggling with water problems. In the territory’s most northerly community, Grise Fiord, only one of the hamlet’s two water tanks has been working since the fall.
In early October, the hamlet noticed one of the tanks was leaking water, senior administrative officer Daryl Dibblee said.
“Low and behold, half [of the water in] the tank was gone,” he said.
So in mid-November, working with the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Community and Government Services, the hamlet ensured the working tank was filled while the leaking one was emptied.
Grise Fiord has a unique system for water use in Nunavut, as it takes two large above-ground water tanks and fills them with glacier water once a year, Dibblee said. Each tank is 11 metres high, 22 metres in diameter and holds 3.7 million litres, he said. Those tanks then serve as the hamlet’s water supply for the year.
Typically, one water tank is supposed to last six months, said assistant SAO Marty Kuluguqtuq. But with residents conserving the amount of water they use, the water in the remaining tank is expected to last until mid-July." ---------------
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/leaking-water-tanks-force-grise-fiord-to-ration-water/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
