Boil-water advisory tips from N.W.T. communities to Yellowknife

Yellowknife is undergoing its first boil-water advisory in 11 years, but in other Northwest Territories communities where the advisories are not unusual, people have found ways to cope and even enjoy the annual inconvenience.

The advisory is due to turbidity — silt and other tiny particles are clouding the Yellowknife River from which the city draws its water. That reduces the effectiveness of the chlorination process used to kill bacteria, says Dr. Andre Corriveau, N.W.T.'s chief public health officer.

It's a seasonal thing

Hay River, N.W.T., has been turbidity free this year, but between 2007 and 2011 the community faced a boil water advisory almost every year in May, according to data from Municipal and Community Affairs.  

"Bad years it looks like chocolate milk.  Better years, iced tea, " jokes Kathy McBryan.

McBryan says she chuckled when she heard some Yellowknifers at the airport talking about the boil-water advisory, which is now into its third day. 

"This happens so many times in Hay River," she says.  "We just dealt with it and never even seemed to be a topic of discussion." 

The Back Eddy Cocktail Lounge and Restaurant in Hay River even has a tribute cocktail named the Muddy Waters and it's usually popular at this time of year according to one of the owners, Linda Duford, 

"We put a  whole bunch of stuff in it, but not the muddy water," says  Duford. 

"It comes out looking just like the tap water when you're getting twigs and brown stuff coming out of the tap," she says.  
In Sachs Harbour, N.W.T., Mayor Donna Keogak says people are used to murky spring run-off water. 

Sachs Harbour has had at least two lengthy boil water advisories.  One that started in the summer of 2008 lasted 8 months.  Another in 2011 lasted for 6 months. 

In that instance, the chlorination system broke, so no disinfectant could be added to the water. 
Keogak says, in the past, the commuity didn't test drinking water, and people didn't get sick drinking it.  

"It's just run-off and it happens every year. A few years ago we had an advisory that lasted seven months.  We adapted to it," she says.
 

Keogak says most people don't drink the tap water anyway, preferring to get their drinking water from snow, or from the ice on the lake near Sachs Harbour. 

"Stick with colours" and other tips for coping 

Muddy water veterans in Hay River have some tips for Yellowknifers, in case the advisory drags out.  

Avoid washing whites or delicates when the water is murky, says Kate Latour, as they might come out a bit grubby. 

Vince Mckay, a town councillor, advises people to stock up on bottled water early, before the price doubles. 

"We boil the water and have the big water bottles and stuff in the house," says Kathy McBryan. 
 

McBryan says bubble bath saved the day when her kids were little and the bath water was looking like iced tea. 

"Honestly I don't think they ever really noticed" she says. "Just fill it full of bubbles and put toys in it, they didn't know it was dirty water."

"Go with it and have a little fun," McBryan says.

If the advisory stretches out for a bit, the Back Eddy's Linda Duford has some advice for Yellowknifers too. Mix yourself a good stiff drink of your own.

While she won't give away the secret ingredients in her bar's "Muddy Waters," she offers a starting point for the seasonally appropriate cocktail.

"I will tell you it has dark rum and pineapple and lemon juice, a splash of coke and some ice cubes. When we serve it people look at it and say 'Oh my God' . That's how good it looks," says Duford.