distribution pipes

Iqaluit community bands together as drinking water remains contaminated by fuel

Iqaluit community bands together as drinking water remains contaminated by fuel

When staff at Iqaluit‘s Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre heard the news last week that water from the city’s distribution pipes wasn’t safe to drink because of fuel contamination, they knew some people weren’t going to be able to get the precious liquid themselves. The city set up two distribution sites where people could fill up jugs with potable water, and many were able to drive to the nearby Sylvia Grinnell River and collect it themselves to boil for drinking. But Rachel Blais, executive director of the food centre, which runs a meal service and other community programs, said many people don’t have vehicles. Others, she said, have kids or work multiple jobs and don’t have time to get water.