Kugluktuk endures brown brine as intake problem persists

Kugluktuk's long battle for clean and safe drinking water may end when a new pumping, storage and purification system is eventually installed.

But, for now, water plant operators will continue to pour water into a glass and swirl it around as they test it: often it's too cloudy or salty to drink.

Despite various past efforts to solve the intake of seawater and sediment from the Coppermine River, murky brine flowing from the community's taps has been the norm during the river's fall freeze-up and spring break-up periods.

Unsatisfied with the state of their water, many Kugluktuk residents prefer going to the river or lakes to fetch untreated water, although tests show this is often substandard.

Engineers are looking at ways to clean up Kugluktuk's water supply, said Justin Hazenberg, a civil engineer, who spoke about the community's water woes at the recent conference of the Northern Territories Water and Waste Water Association in Iqaluit.

Improvements were made to Kugluktuk's water storage and filtration system five years ago. A reservoir can now be filled to hold a supply of clean water for use in the spring and fall.

But major challenges remain, Hazenberg told those at the meeting in Iqaluit.

The pump house, built in the 1980s, has severe structural problems, as the intake pipe is sinking into river sediment. A $60,000 dredging around the shallow area might not solve the problem as removal of sediment might lead to other changes in the Coppermine River's flow.

And that's not the only problem. The reservoir built in 2002 was designed to hold a 10-day supply of clean water for use during the worst quality periods of the year. But it's already filled with sludge and can only last a week.

The recently-installed filtration system in the water plant is also inadequate, requiring frequent changes of costly filters. Right now, operators clean them and use them twice, when they are supposed to use the filters only once.

If engineers manage to solve the sediment problem, they may still be unable to solve the salinity problem, said Hazenberg. That's because any changes to the placement of the intake pipe may affect the river flow so "you have to be very careful," he said.

Space is also an issue within the confines of the growing community, obliging engineers to find a system that will work consistently and fit in.

Kugluktuk is likely headed towards a complete overhaul of its water system, Hazenberg predicted – a change from the "piece-wise solutions" of the past 25 years.

Hazenberg praised the community's "skilled and innovative" operators who have managed to keep water flowing despite the inadequacies of the present system.

Using chemicals to process the community's water supply would be an expensive proposition, Hazenburg said, but he said engineers are determined to come up with a plan for the water system to meet standard water quality guidelines in their $263,000 study of the system.

Over the years, Kugluktuk has endured inconvenience and financial losses from its water supply system. In 1999, the hamlet was forced to drill a water hole at the mouth of the Coppermine River because the water line that linked the pump house froze. A new line cost more than $500,000 to install.

In 2004, Kugluktuk lost its historic Catholic church when firefighters ran out of water while trying to tame an uncontrolled fire.