Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
People in Sanirajak, Nunavut, are asked to keep their water at a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it. That's because total coliform bacteria has been found in the water system, and people could get sick from drinking tap water, according to the territory's Department of Health. People should boil any water used for drinking; preparing infant formulas, ice, juice, or meals; brushing teeth; and washing fruit and vegetables.
Some people in Sachs Harbour, N.W.T are still being told not to drink the water that comes out of their taps — until a water sample for each affected home or building shows it is safe to drink. The entire community was advised, on March 23, not to drink delivered water because it smelled of fuel and had an oily sheen. Since then, Jeremy Bird, a spokesperson for the territory's department of health, told CBC News the community had been cleared to distribute water using an alternative water truck two days later.
Homes in Sachs Harbour are once again getting water deliveries after the community went without for over a week, and some households had to rely on bottled water and other sources of potable water. On March 23, after signs of fuel contamination were found in some trucked water, people in the community were asked to switch to bottled water and other sources if they'd had a water delivery since March 21.
