Iqaluit officials recommending rebate for customers amid drinking water crisis – National

Iqaluit residents may get a break on their water payments as they proceed to cope with gasoline contamination that’s prevented them from with the ability to drink their faucet water.

Mayor Kenny Bell says in a social media publish that he requested metropolis workers for a “request for choice” on a water rebate forward of this coming Tuesday’s council assembly.

Bell posted the ensuing doc on Saturday, which requires a full rebate for the month of October for purchasers who obtain their water by way of the town’s pipes, in addition to those that obtain water from vans.

It says it’s making the advice as a result of the town was unable to supply potable water for houses and companies for an prolonged time frame, and the flushing of pipes would require individuals to make use of further water.

The doc notes disadvantages to the concept, together with misplaced income of $965,677 for the month, and that it may create expectations for future interruptions of metropolis providers.

Iqaluit’s 8,000 residents haven’t been capable of devour tainted faucet water for practically two weeks after gasoline was present in samples, and Bell has mentioned the navy is bringing in a cell therapy plant just like these utilized in catastrophe areas equivalent to Haiti.

2:48
Nunavut chief public well being officer on Iqaluit water contamination

The doc suggests the town submit an software below the Nunavut authorities’s Municipal Request for Help Program to recoup the misplaced income.

Iqaluit residents had reported a gasoline odor of their water as early as Oct. 2. On Oct. 12, employees opened a tank on the metropolis’s water therapy facility and smelled gasoline. Assessments later got here again constructive for top concentrations of gasoline in that tank.

Town has bypassed the contaminated tank nevertheless it’s nonetheless within the strategy of flushing the contaminated water from its system and residents want to wash their houses’ water tanks.

Flushing is anticipated proceed into no less than subsequent week. It’s nonetheless not clear how gasoline received into the tank.

In a tweet Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned he had spoken with Nunavut PremierJoe Savikataaq and that the navy will probably be deployed to Iqaluit to co-ordinate and ship clear consuming water.