Iqaluit says it lost at least 6 million liters of water due to problems with the system

IQALUIT, Nunavut – The city of Iqaluit says it has lost between six and 10 million liters of water over the past three days as crews worked to fix problems with its mains water system.

The city suspended all water supplies on Saturday while crews repaired the water main near the Astro Hill complex, where a major leak had been reported earlier this morning.

Water was restored to most of the city by Saturday night, while a medical boarding school was back on the system by Sunday afternoon.

The city then announced another emergency shutdown for parts of the city on Monday, as a disruption in the system caused a sewer to return to Parliament House.

The city said a valve failed, causing water from the mains to fill the sewer, causing a backflow.

Water supplies were restored Monday afternoon and a precautionary recommendation to boil water was lifted later that night.

The city said public works would continue to repair two small leaks on Tuesday.

Issues with Iqaluit’s aging and limited water infrastructure are well documented.

Iqaluit and Nunavut both declared states of emergency in August to ensure the territory’s capital would be able to refill its reservoir, Lake Geraldine, before it freezes over so residents have enough water throughout the winter.

The city also made headlines when its water supply was contaminated by fuel in October 2021, forcing residents to fill containers with water from the Sylvia Grinnell River or resort to bottled water flown in from southern Canada.

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout said infrastructure in the north is a matter of Arctic security and sovereignty.

The federal government provided more than $214 million in April to support a new reservoir and upgrades to Iqaluit’s water distribution system. The city said when that work is complete, problems with the tap water system should decrease.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on February 7, 2023.

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This story was produced with financial support from Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Emily Blake, The Canadian Press

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