Wekweètì under boil-water advisory after pump failure

The N.W.T.’s chief environmental health officer issued a precautionary boil-water advisory Monday for Wekweètì, the Tłı̨chǫ community north of Yellowknife, after the pump that feeds the water treatment plant failed.

The territorial government said a critical mechanical failure of the raw water intake pump means the plant cannot currently treat the community’s water properly. It said no illnesses linked to drinking water have been reported.

Residents are being told to boil drinking water for at least one minute. The advisory covers water used to prepare food and drinks, make ice, wash fruits and vegetables, mix infant formula and brush teeth. People can still bathe or shower without boiling the water, the chief environmental health officer said.

The community government is working with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to fix the pump as soon as possible, the territorial government said. The chief environmental health officer and the community government will keep monitoring the situation and give formal notice when the advisory is lifted.

It is the second boil-water advisory for Wekweètì this year, CBC North reported. In January, a power outage damaged the plant and the resulting advisory lasted nearly two months. Cabin Radio also reported Monday’s advisory and the pump failure.

Other N.W.T. communities have dealt with similar advisories this fall. As we reported, the advisory in Sambaa K’e was lifted after six weeks, and the federal government’s latest count shows 39 long-term water advisories remain in 37 communities across Canada.

The territorial government has posted steps residents can follow during the advisory.

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