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Schools and offices in Kugaaruk, Nunavut, are closed as the hamlet grapples with a state of emergency after a breakdown at the water treatment plant.
In a post on Facebook, the hamlet said it declared a local state of emergency at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday because the water plant is unable to produce clean water.
“The water treatment plant in the Hamlet of Kugaaruk is no longer able to produce water,” it wrote in the post, adding that leaves the community without a reliable source of potable water.
In an update Monday morning, the hamlet posted saying it is working on pumping water from the backup water source. Once that happens, the hamlet can start water delivery again, though there’s no estimate about when that will happen.
The hamlet also said it is working on getting more bottled water, which it will give out at the community hall Monday.
In a news release from Sunday, the Nunavut Emergency Management (NEM) said the emergency was declared after sea water infiltrated the water treatment plant. NEM said it is working with the Community Services Department to support the hamlet.
Schools and government offices are closed until further notice, and the health centre is providing emergency services only.
A boil water notice is in place, NEM said, and all water must be boiled for at least one minute before use, including any water drawn from rivers and lakes.
NEM said it is preparing a shipment of bottled water, as well as water pumps and supplies for the community to draw water directly from an alternate water source.
NEM encourages residents to conserve bottled water for essential use only, and stock up on three days worth of supplies.
Nunavut’s Health Department is asking people to call the community’s health centre directly at 867-769-6411 for emergencies, and calls made after hours will be directed to the nurse on call.