Edzo residents have gone weeks with brown water, frozen water lines

Residents in Edzo, N.W.T., have been struggling with disruptions to their piped water delivery after aging equipment broke down last month, and Tłı̨chǫ leaders say the community government can't pay for sustainable repairs alone. 

"Our communities are showing the wear and tear of the old infrastructure," said Behchokǫ̀ Chief Clifford Daniels. Behchokǫ̀ includes the communities of Rae and Edzo.

A pump failed on Jan. 21, and for the last two weeks the community has been working to bring in replacement parts and thaw lines that froze when Edzo's reservoir ran out. 

Edzo pulls water from the West Channel into an intake pump house, which is piped out to the community. When water levels are low, water must be trucked in from Behchokǫ̀.

This week, workers restored water for many residents, but are still thawing out water lines and repairing those lines that have burst underground. 

Cold weather and COVID-19 only made the water problem harder to solve, Daniels said.

For residents, "it's been a tough couple of weeks," he said.

Honey buckets and frustration

Some residents have been using honey buckets — bucket toilets that need to be emptied  — because they had no running water or sewer, Daniels said.

Paul Gentleman has lived in Edzo for 14 years and owns a home that uses piped water.

He's considering paying an estimated $30,000 out of pocket to move to a tanked system, and other residents are weighing that option too. 

When the reservoir was depleted, residents were getting water that was "rusty, brown, silty in appearance and texture," said Gentleman.

Gentleman has personally been out of water for eight days, but said some residents have not had water or sewer service for almost a month, or have had low-pressure and brown water. 

Some households had their sewage back up too, he said.

Residents are relying on neighbours to bathe and wash their clothes and some households are using honey buckets, he said. 

"More than just water, it's starting to become a mental health issue. I see my neighbours starting to break down. It's getting frustrating. It's affecting relationships. 

"To have a normal life without [water] is proving to be very challenging for many people." 

Millions needs for upgrades

Both Rae and Edzo are seeing the effects of aging reservoirs, pump stations and water plants. The infrastructure must be upgraded, but Daniels said the community government can't pay for it alone.

Daniels estimates it will cost between $6 and $14 million for upgrades to the system. 

Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong and Daniels say this most recent water disruption calls for adequate funding to the community government so they can provide services to residents.

Weyallon Armstrong is also seeing the water disruption affecting residents. 

She said Behchokǫ's pipes on Edzia Tili street need to be constantly worked on. They pipe water to the community government building, the health centre and nurses residence, the Jimmy Erasmus Senior's home, and a row of government-owned housing.

She's also aware of families with babies having to lean on neighbours with trucked water for personal hygiene. In some cases, they're then being asked to pay for their neighbours' increased water bills, Weyallon Armstrong said.

The situation has become a physical and mental health issue, she said.

She wants to see urgent action from the territorial government. 

"Water is a basic human right," Weyallon Armstrong said.