Leaders in Nahanni Butte say a manganese issue in the Dehcho community’s drinking water is a recent development and swift action is being taken.
In a Tuesday advisory from the GNWT, residents were told young children and pregnant women shouldn’t drink tap water due to high manganese levels, while adults should “take precautions.”
Burton Campbell, the head of public works in Nahanni Butte, told Cabin Radio high levels of manganese had been detected last week and residents quickly informed.
“We caught it early,” said Campbell. “We told people in the community … do not consume. We’re trying to figure out the problem at the moment.”
Campbell linked the problem to routine maintenance of the water filtration system.
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In June, a water filter was changed that increased pressure in the water system’s pipes. Some pipes were replaced 10 years ago when the community’s water treatment system was upgraded but the pipes around the water plant are much older, according to Chief Steve Vital of the Nahɂą Dehé Dene Band.
The older pipes have resin flaking off the inside walls. When the water pressure increased, Campbell says this released more pipe resin into the water, causing an increase in manganese.
“The community water treatment was updated in mid-June 2024. Since then, the residual manganese which has built up in the plumbing has been releasing into the treated water in the system,” a spokesperson for the NWT’s Department of Health and Social Services separately confirmed.
“The community has been doing routine testing, and we became aware of the gradually rising levels over the last four weeks … Over time, the issue will be resolved once the pipes are cleared of the residual manganese with water flowing through them.”
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Vital says many residents do not drink tap water, so the water advisory hasn’t caused significant disruption.
Many prefer bottled water and some get their water at a nearby runoff from the mountain, Vital added. Still, they’re working to repair the issue quickly to ensure residents have safe water in their homes.
“It’s saying boiling water might increase the manganese so it’s a big issue,” said Vital, adding that in a conversation with GNWT officials, he was told the issue could take months to resolve.
“Just like basically everything else, we might have to act on our own on this,” Vital said.
“That’s the only way we get things done faster within Nahanni Butte is we act on our own and things happen faster – we get things done.”
Campbell says he hopes to have the issue resolved in around a week, but the timeline is fluid because it all depends on how quickly they can acquire parts.
In the meantime, residents are encouraged to find other water sources for drinking, such as bottled water.
Vital says his community is now living through predictions made by Elders before potable water was introduced, when river water was clean and drinkable.
“Like our ancestors said before, in the future we will be paying to drink water,” said Vital. “And they’re right.”
