The territory’s chief public health officer is reminding residents in Yellowknife, Dettah and N’Dilo that a current boil water advisory is for precautionary reasons only.
Dr. André Corriveau and the City of Yellowknife announced the advisory Monday night. The last warning of its kind was issued in 2004 and lasted a total of 10 days.
Read: Boil Water Advisory Issued For Yellowknife, Dettah, N’Dilo
“This is not a frequent occurrence,” Corriveau said, adding that the advisory will only be rescinded once water near the intake of the Yellowknife River clears itself.
“It’s important to mention that this is a precautionary advisory and not because we found bacteria in the water.
“When the turbidity level, which means the muddiness of the water, gets beyond a certain threshold we get less effective chlorination.
“If there were bacteria or other microorganisms, they can hide inside the mud and they’re not affected by the chlorine that’s added to the water.”
But Corriveau says nothing points to there being contamination at this time.
In the meantime, he’s advising residents in all three communities to boil water for one minute prior to consumption. Water bottles are also recommended.
Corriveau says his office and the City will monitor the situation daily.
“We will reassess mid-day every day and decide to either continue the advisory or rescind it and then provide advice at that time.”
