City of Iqaluit tells residents to have enough water for storm
Residents told to have enough water for 72 hours
A storm is supposed to bring Iqaluit 10 to 15 centimetres of snow and strong winds between Monday night and Tuesday. (File photo by Steve Ducharme)
The City of Iqaluit urged its residents to have enough water on hand to last for 72 hours because of strong winds and heavy snowfall expected to start Monday night and end on Tuesday.
“The City is recommending that residents refill water, in the event that the potential incoming storm limits their ability to leave their homes and get to water refilling depots,” Aleksey Cameron, communications manager with the city, said to Nunatsiaq News in an email.
Tuesday marks the start of the seventh week that Nunavut’s largest community has been under an order not to consume city tap water, after diesel fuel was detected in the water in October.
Many residents have been getting their water from city-run filling stations that provide water purified by the Canadian Armed Forces, who draw water from the Sylvia Grinnell River and run it through their temporary purification system.
With a major storm in the forecast, the city encouraged people to have enough water on hand in case bad weather prevents them from getting to a filling station.
Environment Canada issued a weather warning early on Monday that Iqaluit is expected to receive 10 to 15 centimetres of snow and high winds from Monday night into Tuesday.
The combination of heavy snow and high winds may reduce visibility, Environment Canada said.
Cameron said the 72-hour warning is a precautionary measure and that there are no plans to change the water availability schedule this week.
She added that 72 hours is considered a general recommendation and the federal standard for emergency preparedness.
Tells residents to have enough water 45 minutes before filling stations close on a work day. Thanks guys.
A part of being a functioning adult is to be prepared for emergencies. I’m not sure why people wait for the City to tell them how to adult? Is that a thing?
72 Hour Emergency Preparedness is actually pretty standard for everywhere but is particularly important for places that have inclement weather on the regular. Seems logical.
The reason for the snark was, it appeared that the city issued this advisory right before filling stations were about to close. So the advisory seemed useless. No, we shouldn’t wait around for the city to advise us of when to stock up on water, but if the City is going to put out an advisory, it should serve some sort of purpose.
As it turns out, this advisory was actually released hours earlier than this article came out.
In all fairness, a PSA was on the City’s website and Facebook at 11am. The information is there if you want it – I don’t think they’re in control of when a reporter publishes a story.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/iqaluitpublicservice/permalink/4556846497684625/
https://www.iqaluit.ca/news/snowfall-and-heavy-winds-warning-%E2%80%93-city-urges-72-hour-water-preparedness-potable-water
That’s true! Sorry, City! My comment wasn’t fair.
Ya sure, I’ll get right on that. With the filling stations on bankers hours.
You’re being too generous. Banks are open all 9-5. Filling stations are only half day :p
What? Banks are open 11-6 every day of the week? Right on, right on. Cause the filling stations are open 11-6, daily. Just because you prefer to get bottled water (which is a shorter timeframe) doesn’t mean drinking water isn’t available.
Bottled Water isn’t a human right folks. I hate to break it to you.
I got a health condition and having only reverse osmosis water makes it worse.
Except they aren’t open 11-6 every day. I just went to Abe Okpik Hall, and AWG at 1 and there is nothing. And the City doesn’ t inform the public about it until people start pestering them. After running around and getting no water, I looked on Facebook and people had to go to a post from the 20th to ask questions about why the fill stations aren’t operating. Only then did the city provide an answer, sort of. People shouldn’t have to pester the city to find out that water isn’t available after they release a schedule.
SOME BLIZZARD HUH? I guess I’ll have more time to get water in the hour that it’s available to me.
What storm?