The emergency response manager of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation anticip that the boil water advisory affecting Pelican Narrows will be lifted soon. The First Nation, comprising over 4,000 members, had to seek water from neighboring communities recently. However, Duane Hiebert affirmed on Friday that the reservoir in the water tank is close to capacity.
The issue originated from a critical malfunction in the community’s raw water intake system on Sunday night. According to a statement from PBCN, the problem resulted in a decrease in water intake for treatment, necessitating urgent conservation measures to prevent system shutdown and damage.
Due to difficulties in accessing water, volunteers and community members have been distributing water door-to-door for drinking and cooking purposes. There were worries about the water pump freezing, but Hiebert clarified that evacuation is not necessary as the situation is under control.
The expectation is that the boil water advisory will be lifted within the next day or so. Divers from AECOM are set to examine the lake infrastructure on Saturday. The lake intake, established in 1981, has been a reliable water source for the community until the recent incident. The divers will inspect the intake screen and the underwater pipe to identify any issues and ensure the community can return to normalcy soon.