Puvirnituq lifts state of emergency after water crisis eases

The state of emergency declared nearly three weeks ago in Puvirnituq is over, Mayor Lucy Qalingo announced Friday in a news release.

The community has struggled through a water crisis that started March 18 when a boil water advisory was issued after Puvirnituq’s main water pipe froze and broke. The 10-day state of emergency was declared May 17, then on May 27 it was extended for another 10 days until June 6.

“I am relieved for the residents of Puvirnituq that conditions have stabilized, and that the worst of the water crisis has passed,” Qalingo said in the news release.

Puvirnituq Mayor Lucy Qalingo announced Friday the state of emergency declared May 17 has ended. (File photo by Cedric Gallant)

“While the most severe and immediate threat to public access to the water supply has diminished, there remain steep obstacles to ensure that [residents] can rely on the current system when they need it most.”

The pipe that broke connected the water supply at the river to the community’s water treatment plant. For several weeks afterward, untreated water was trucked five kilometres from the river into Puvirnituq.

However, that effort was hampered by winter conditions that made it difficult to drive on the slush-covered road. At the same time, two of Puvirnituq’s five water trucks were disabled awaiting repairs.

On May 16, the Inuulitsivik Health Centre deployed its contingency plan and relocated health-centre patients and Sailivik long-term elders facility residents, with accompanying nurses, to hospitals in Montreal.

The Canadian Rangers were dispatched to assist the community and in late May a temporary 2.9-kilometre pipeline was installed to connect the pump at the river to the water filtration plant.

A permanent pipeline repair is expected to be made this summer.

Numerous agencies including Kativik Regional Government, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq school board, the municipality of Inukjuak, Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, Air Inuit, Nunavik Housing Bureau, Hydro Quebec and the Northern and Co-op stores were involved in relief efforts during the water crisis.

During that time, the Quebec government airlifted 145,000 litres of bottled water to the community, according to Friday’s news release.

“Our water crisis has shown the world that inexplicable living conditions still exist in this country, and we are more determined than ever to make governments accountable for providing a resilient water system comparable to what people outside of Nunavik take for granted,” said Hilda Snowball, the KRG chairperson, in the release.

Both Snowball and Qalingo thanked the workers and crews that pitched in to help Puvirnituq during the water crisis.