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Red Cross flying bottled water in to Black Tickle

There's a shortage of safe drinking water in Black Tickle in southern Labrador.
Black Tickle a small isolated community on the coast of Labrador. (Google Maps)

A shortage of safe drinking water in Black Tickle in southern Labrador has prompted the Canadian Red Cross to fly supplies of bottled water to the tiny island community.

Black Tickle's problems with its local water supply have worsened enough that its system has been turned off so that filters can be replaced.

The local service district says that work should be finished soon.

Residents are advised that the water will be available to be picked up Friday at 10 a.m.

Statistics Canada put the village's population at 168 in the most recent census. 

Each person is allowed to have two litres per day, as set out by Red Cross water distribution formulas.

Town officials in Black Tickle said the water quality was so bad it destroyed their filter supply.