Nunavut workers struggle in the cold to fix Rankin water main freeze

GN employees work to thaw frozen water lines in Rankin Inlet March 10. (PHOTO BY NOEL KALUDJAK)

A frozen water main has brought havoc to some homes, businesses and government offices in Rankin Inlet over the past week and half.

Low water pressure froze the water line in the community’s Old Town sector, shutting off water to a number of buildings between Feb. 28 and March 7, said the Government of Nunavut’s department of Community and Government Services, which oversees the utilidor system in Rankin Inlet.

“CGS staff and local contractors have been working through extreme cold temperatures and blizzards to thaw the water main and restore services to affected buildings and residences,” the department said in an email to Nunatsiaq News March 11.

Temperatures in the Kivalliq community have sat below -30ºC this month.

Services had been restored to all buildings and residences affected by the water main freeze.

But since March 8, a section of the water distribution loop along Tulimaaq Avenue has since frozen, CGS said.

That’s affected four buildings, but hamlet staff expect to get services back up soon.

Rankin Inlet suffered two water main breaks in February. CGS workers have also been dealing with a sewage spill into Rankin Inlet’s Johnson Cove, which is home to the community’s lift station.

Although reports from the community indicated a sewage pump had broken, CGS said they’ve been checked and that pumps are working fine.

“A loader will remove any snow or ice that has been affected and staff will re-inspect the cleanup after that work is done,” the department said.