A water truck fills up in Iqaluit during the do not consume order. Photo: Kent Driscoll/APTN.
The taps are back on in Iqaluit.
It’s been 60 days since oil contamination forced the city and territorial government of Nunavut to issue a do not consume order.
“The City of Iqaluit is advising residents that effective the 10 December, 2021 the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Health has lifted its Do Not Consume Order, issued on October 12, 2021,” said a statement issued Friday afternoon. “This means that all piped and trucked water can now be used for all potable water uses. The water that is being produced by the Water Treatment Plant meets or is better than the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines.”
Since that time people have either travelled to the local river to draw water, received it from the military that set up a reverse osmosis purification unit, or from bottled water supplied by the city and territorial government.
The Nunavut Health Department says officials have completed three consecutive tests for petroleum in the city’s water supply and all came back with acceptable levels.
“As the Do Not Consume order has been lifted by Public Health, the City has suspended all bottled water distribution and closed all water refilling depots effective the 10 December, 2021,” said the statement.
Iqaluit residents haven’t been able to drink their tap water since Oct. 12.
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