Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut’s Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO), lifted the Do Not Consumer Order for City of Iqaluit’s drinking water.
“Thorough testing and assessments conducted over the past eight weeks, show that the water is safe for consumption and that the risk of recontamination is low”, said Dr. Patterson. “I want to thank Iqalummiut for their patience, I know these past weeks have been challenging.”
The Department of Health worked with the Department of Community and Government Services, a third-party engineer, and the City of Iqaluit on a number of initiatives to address the Iqaluit water crisis. New monitors were installed, the site was remediated, the tanks scrubbed, and new procedures implemented to prevent and respond to potential future incidents.
The office of the CPHO also wanted to see a minimum of three consecutive test results without evidence of significant hydrocarbon contamination in the water treatment plant before lifting the Do Not Consume Order.
The Department of Health water tests between October 12 and November 25, showed higher than acceptable levels of hydrocarbons on October 12 and 19. After analyzing the data and consulting with the engineering firm, the CPHO is confident that the hydrocarbons detected after October 19 were the product of residual hydrocarbons left over from the cleanup and not from recontamination.
All tests done after October 19 show that levels of hydrocarbon substances were either undetectable or within safety levels for drinking water.
Iqalummiut are advised that there might be some residual fuel odour in the water in some areas that should dissipate after running the water for approximately 20 minutes and cleaning the aerator. If a smell persists, contact the City of Iqaluit to arrange for the water to be tested.
