Water scarce as Akulivik suffers furnace breakdown

Tukisiniarvik School in Akulivik had to close Feb. 1 and 2 after a furnace in the community’s water plant broke down. (FILE PHOTO)

Akulivik residents were forced to conserve water this week after a furnace in the community’s water plant broke down.

Municipal manager Willie Nappatuk said one of the two boilers in the community’s water plant shut down Jan. 29, causing water pipes to freeze.

Akulivimmiut didn’t have water delivered to their homes again until Feb. 3, after a temporary boiler was installed.

“We though it would be repaired right away but it tool some time,” Nappatuk said. “We’ll have (the plant) renovated this summer.”

Residents were asked to conserve water during the dry spell, going without showers and using buckets of melted snow and ice to flush toilets.

The 10,000-litre water tank at the Tukisniarvik School was enough to supply staff and students Jan. 31, but the school shut its doors Feb. 1 and 2 until water delivery was restored.

“Sanitary conditions are hard to keep up with no running water,” said principal David Loiselle. “We had chopped ice delivered to some of our teachers.”

Others say they hardly noticed the water shortage.

“Not many people run out of water,” said the manager at Akulivik’s co-op store. “They were just easy on the water use at home….we didn’t know how long it was going to take.”

The municipality suggested the breakdown was due to a motor malfunction caused by cold temperatures, which Nappatuk said has shut down the local water station once before.

“The boiler couldn’t keep up with the cold,” he said, adding the temperature hovered at -31C last weekend.

But Kativik Regional Government is still investigating to determine the cause of the interruption, says spokesperson Jean-David Pelletier.

In Kangirsuk, officials took to the FM airwaves last week warning residents to conserve water after pipes at the water station froze to a trickle.