Weighing options: Yellowknife's drinking water up for discussion at council today
CBC News | Posted: June 27, 2016 4:21 PM | Last Updated: June 27, 2016
Could replace aging pipeline for $20M or draw water from Yellowknife Bay, a cheaper but controversial option
Yellowknife councillors will be talking about the city's main source of drinking water at a noon meeting today.
The city's drinking water comes from the Yellowknife River and is transported via an aging, eight-kilometre underwater pipe to its water treatment plant. The line was installed in the 1960s and the city has said it's at risk of failing.
Today at city hall, councillors will discuss their options.
Replacing the pipeline will cost an estimated $20 million.
Another solution is to draw water from Yellowknife Bay, which would be significantly cheaper. The city would only need to spend about $5 million on new equipment to treat the water for arsenic.
But some residents have voiced concerns about the arsenic levels and the bay's close proximity to the Giant Mine site.
The city has said the current pipeline will hold out until 2020.