Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Nunavut ends state of emergency over water shortage in Iqaluit

IQALUIT, Nunavut — The Nunavut government says it has ended a state of emergency intended to address a water shortage in Iqaluit.

Nunavut ends state of emergency over water shortage in Iqaluit
© Provided by The Canadian Press

The territory declared the emergency earlier this month to ensure its capital could get necessary regulatory approvals to begin replenishing its reservoir.

The city declared its own state of emergency a week earlier due to a lack of precipitation and flows into the Apex River, Iqaluit's secondary water resupply source, being at a 40-year low.

As a result, Lake Geraldine, which serves as the reservoir for the city, would not be replenished before freeze-up.

Related video: Nunavut announces state of emergency over Iqaluit water shortage
Duration 0:45

Acting Minister of Community and Government Services Joanna Quassa says Iqaluit now has the necessary regulatory approval to begin pumping.

The city plans to pump additional water from the nearby Unnamed Lake into the Apex River then into Lake Geraldine.

The city says it will need to pump more than 500 million litres of water.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 30, 2022.

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