Boil water advisory lifted in one Nunavut community; stays in place for another

Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt pushes for a solution to resolve his home community’s drinking water problems in the legislature Oct. 21. (PHOTO BY STEVE DUCHARME)

Health officials in Nunavut say that tap water in Whale Cove is once again safe to drink.

The Government of Nunavut lifted a boil water advisory in the Kivalliq community Nov. 3, roughly 12 weeks after it was first issued Aug. 15.

That’s when the health department found “unacceptable levels” of coliform in the local water system.

Although the bacteria occurs naturally in plants, soil and in the digestive tracts of humans and animals, humans are at risk of contracting illness from water-borne coliform.

Whale Cove endured a 13-week long boil water advisory the previous summer and fall, also due to the presence of coliform. Health officials haven’t indicated where the bacteria might have come from.

Across Hudson Bay, another Nunavut community is struggling to find the source of its drinking water woes.

Sanikiluaq remains on a boil water advisory, put in place when E.coli, a type of coliform, was found in the local water system in August.

Residents should bring water to a rolling boil for a least one minute before it is consumed, the GN said in a Nov.4 release.

That includes water used for brushing teeth, preparing infant formula, washing fruits and vegetables and making ice cubes.

But Sanikiluaq isn’t just dealing with high levels of coliform in its water; earlier this year, hamlet officials found high levels of sodium in the local water system.

Since then, the GN has installed reverse osmosis taps in most households to offset the high sodium levels, although the territory acknowledges that is just a short-term solution.

Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt has asked the GN to consider constructing a new water treatment plant or upgrading the current facility on the island hamlet of roughly 800 people.

Community and Government Services Minister Joe Savikataaq told Rumbolt Oct. 21 that the GN is looking to find a “reasonable, not financially too burdensome and practical” solution to resolving the water issues.

The Department of Health said last week that is continues to test local water and investigate the source of both the coliform and high sodium levels in the Belcher Island community.