Half of Iqaluit faces water disruption, boil advisory

Lake Geraldine, seen here, supplies Iqaluit’s water. This week about half of the city will see water disruptions, followed by two-day boil-water advisories. (FILE PHOTO)

(UPDATED, AUG. 28, 2:45 P.M.)

Starting Tuesday morning, the City of Iqaluit will shut off half of its water supply in varying schedules, depending on the part of the city affected. It will be followed by a two-day boil-water advisory, starting at the time the water is restored at each address.

For houses in the 100s, 200s and 300s, there will be a disruption of water service from 9 a.m. until noon on Tuesday followed by a two-day boil-water advisory. This will end for these addresses on Thursday at noon.

For buildings from 510 to 559, there will be a disruption of water service on Tuesday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. In addition, there will be a two-day boil-water advisory, which should end on Thursday at noon as well.

Additionally, due to construction on the Joamie Court subdivision, the following addresses will have a longer water disruption: 2200s, 2400s, 2600s, 2700s, 4000s, 4100s, 400s, 500s and 1600s.

From 7 p.m. on Tuesday until 7 a.m. on Wednesday all of those addresses will have no running water. This will be followed by a two-day boil-water advisory, from Wednesday morning until Friday morning.

On Wednesday, buldings 902 (A and B), 922, 911, 913, 915 and 692 will have a temporary disruption of water from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Also on Wednesday, Nakasuk School will experience a temporary disruption of water from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Northmart will also see temporary disruption of water from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.

For the above, a boil-water advisory will not be required, a municipal release said.

The city has issued a list of tips to prepare for a water shut-down.

Before the shut-down on Tuesday, fill containers with water and store in a cool, dark location.

Fill your bathtub with water to use as required. It can be poured into the toilet to flush.

Stock up on anti-bacterial hand sanitizer for washing hands.

It is common for sediment to accumulate in pipes during a water shut-down, so after the water is restored on Wednesday or Thursday, there may be discolouration.

This water will be tested to ensure it meets water quality standards, the city says.

Run the cold water to ensure the water runs clear before operating any water-using device, such as a washing machine or dishwasher.

Do not run hot water until you first notice the cold water is running clear again. Otherwise, impurities could be drawn into your hot water tank and may cause problems.

Do not use any ice cubes produced by your fridge’s ice maker.

Any discoloured water can be used for non-drinking purposes, according to the city’s news release.

Correction: Due to incorrect information provided by the city, an earlier version of this story gave incorrect times for the water disruptions and boil-water advisors for homes affected by construction of the Joamie Court subdivision. As well, that affected neighbourhood includes the 2200s.