The NWT’s chief public health officer is advising residents of Sambaa K’e to boil their tap water for at least one minute before consuming it or using it to prepare food.
A boil water advisory published on Wednesday states the community’s water treatment plant has been temporarily shut down while work is underway to drain, clean and refill the raw water reservoir. It said during this time, untreated lake water will be used for “domestic purposes.”
The territorial government said it will collaborate with the community government to “monitor the situation and provide formal notice when it is safe to lift the boil water advisory.”
The advisory states that all water used for drinking, preparing baby formula, preparing food, beverages, ice cubes, washing produce, and brushing teeth must be boiled.
Water used for other household purposes, such as bathing, does not need to be boiled.
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The territorial government said alternatives to boiling water include using bottled water or water that has been processed by distillation, reverse osmosis, or a 1-micron absolute or less filter.
It noted that Brita-style filtering products do not disinfect water and are not suitable to be used when a boil-water advisory has been issued.
