Cold spring weather creates water problems in Igloolik
Residents asked to conserve as town reservoir running low
Residents in Igloolik are being asked to conserve water because of problems with the community's fresh water reservoir.
They blame a long, cold spring this year that's left a lot of ice in the pumping system.
"Our current reservoir has no water because there is a lot of ice that has not melted this spring," Joasai Kublu, the director of public works in Igloolik, said in Inuktitut. "Plus, the winter was very cold as well."
Igloolik Senior Administrative Officer Brian Fleming says they could pipe water from a nearby lake, but it would take weeks to fill the reservoir.
"The lake that we usually draw water from, it's just not possible to chlorinate because its organic matter is too high," says Fleming.
He says they are still servicing the community but running low on water.
Meanwhile, workers are building an ice road across the harbour to Fish Lake, about 4 kilometres away from the community, where they hope to establish a temporary pipeline to service the community's fresh water needs.