WET Hydrology & Hydrogeology

October 2021, residents of Iqaluit, Nunavut began to notice a foul taste and smell coming from the tap water. Typically, the water in Iqaluit is safe to drink. At first, reports were limited to a community Facebook group, but eventually an official complaint was made to the City of Iqaluit. The initial testing of the city’s water supply found no evidence of fuel or other contaminants. Residents were reassured by the mayor that the water was safe to drink. This news received mixed reactions, with some residents being reassured and others not convinced. Complaints and worries continued to be shared on the community Facebook group. The continued concerns led to a second round of testing of the water supply, which revealed the presence of fuel in the water, making it unsafe for drinking and even for bathing for babies and pregnant individuals. For a remote community, this was a devastating blow, as bottled water had to be flown in from southern Canada. The City of Iqaluit and Government of Nunavut began distributing free water jugs and bottled water. Others took to the Sylvia Grinnell River, which is a trusted natural source of fresh water. After confirming the presence of fuel in the water supply, it took two months for officials to find the source of contamination, which was identified as a 60-year-old fuel tank that was buried next to the water treatment plant.