Gjoa Haven boil water advisory lifted after months-long disruption
GN removes advisory after treatment plant cleaning and testing completed
Gjoa Haven’s boil water advisory was lifted Tuesday after nearly seven months. The problems began in January, when a water main broke between Swan Lake and the community’s water treatment plant. (Photo by Nehaa Bimal)
Gjoa Haven residents can now drink tap water without boiling it first, after the Department of Health lifted the community’s boil water advisory, which was in place for nearly seven months.
Last Friday, the Government of Nunavut received two consecutive bacteriological samples for Gjoa Haven, said health department spokesperson Charmaine Deogracias in an interview.
Both tested negative for fecal coliform and total coliform — bacteria that can indicate contamination from human or animal waste.
Regional environmental health officer Sharlene Lively reviewed the results, Deogracias said.
The Department of Health then recommended that the advisory be lifted, with final approval coming from Nunavut Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Ekua Agyemang.
The advisory had been in place since Jan. 16, after a break was discovered in a six-kilometre water main that connected Swan Lake to the community’s water treatment plant.
Although the Hamlet of Gjoa Haven completed repairs to restore the water supply on June 17, the advisory remained in place while Nunavut’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure cleaned and disinfected the water storage tank.
The tank was flushed on July 24, the department said in an emailed update. The delay was due to scheduling qualified tradespeople, it said.
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