Baker Lake drinking water making people ill, resident claims

The Baker Lake hamlet council plans to discuss this week alleged problems with the water supply in the Nunavut community, where at least one resident says runoff from the dump and sewage lagoon may be flowing into the lake.

The lake for which the community is named is the drinking water source for the hamlet of 1,700, located 1,330 kilometres west of Iqaluit in central Nunavut.

Resident Joan Scottie told CBC News Monday that the water supply may be contaminated because both the local sewage lagoon and the garbage dump are located above the lake. Runoff from both locations can flow into the lake in spring, she said.

Many residents are taking their drinking water from another location, Scottie said, adding that people are now falling ill.

"We always seem to have a lot of sickness during the springtime — diarrhea and vomiting — not only during the spring," she said. "This concern should be looked into. There should be some kind of studies done."

Mayor David Aksawnee told CBC News that samples from the lake are sent for testing monthly, and results have not shown problems with the drinking water.

Still, Aksawnee said he plans to discuss the matter at this week's hamlet council meeting.