Lightning strike, low river tide triggers water crisis on northern Quebec Cree community

The Cree Nation of Chisasibi has declared a state of emergency because of an ongoing water shortage. Many local services, including the hospital and elders home, are also operating on reduced services because of the issue.

Chisasibi is the largest community in Eeyou Istchee, with about 5,200 residents. It also has the only hospital in the region.

The northern Quebec Cree community has been experiencing low water pressure and limited volume, and was entirely without water between Monday morning and Tuesday morning.

A boil-water advisory is also now in effect and residents are being asked to conserve. Schools and daycares have also been closed since Monday. 

Local leaders are taking short-term precautionary measures until they fix the problem, including bringing in shipments of water to distribute to residents starting Tuesday evening.

"Early this afternoon, the Cree Nation of Chisasibi declared a state of emergency for water shortage," said Jason Coonishish, director of emergency measures and disaster planning for the Cree Health Board, on Tuesday.

The waterplant sustained damage due to a lightning strike, according to an official statement on the Cree Nation of Chisasibi Facebook page, but Coonishish also thinks the river's low tides are also a factor. 

"There's too much debris in the river because it's so shallow and very dry. It's having a hard time keeping up with pumping water to fill up the reservoir at the plant," said Coonishish.

Some patients transferred to Montreal

The Cree Health Board said in a statement on Tuesday that along with the local hospital and elders' centre, the community miyupimaatisiiun centre (CMC) and multi-service day centre (MSDC) are also operating at reduced services.

Urgent and essential services are otherwise operating regularly, although residents who need hemodialysis treatment are being transferred to Montreal, according to Coonishish. He said they have so far medevaced about nine patients. 

Chisasibi experienced a water shut-off from 10 a.m. Monday until 5:30 a.m. Tuesday. Water was briefly restored on Tuesday, allowing residents to collect some for their households, but was again shut down, Coonishish confirmed.

"That was just a short term because now they have to refill it again. We had issues at the water plant," said Coonishish.

Coonishish says local and regional efforts are underway to bring more usable water for families. 

"The local emergency team set up some basins of water along the shore of the river so that people can go there with their pails so that they can use them to flush their toilets at home," he said. 

Daisy House, chief of Chisasibi, said community members are in high spirits despite the water shortage.

House said she appreciates their co-operation, resilience and creativity in collecting water at the temporary station by the river. 

"We still know how to function without running water because that's what we do when we go to our camp. It's like camping for many of them," House said.

"They're very creative with what they were using recycle bins and pails for camps, so very creative, very resilient, and working together."

The Cree Nation of Chisasibi also received over 8,000 pounds of bottled water via AirCreebec. It's been distributed to residents from the Mitchaup building, with priority given to vulnerable people such as elders, young parents, and people with medical needs.

Two more shipments of clean water were expected to arrive later.

"The engineers, water operators, Hydro-Québec, the Cree Nation government are working together to work around the clock," said House.

"Some of the operators hadn't slept 24 hours yesterday morning. We said that they need to rest, however, they're so dedicated and still in high spirits considering the situation."

Barry Bearkskin, Chisasibi's director of general operations, said the lightning strike "burned the heart of the water treatment plan system." 

"One of the panels that the water treatment plant relies on for monitoring, controlling the pumps, everything. So the water treatment plant was crippled, there was nothing functional," Bearskin said.

The short-term plan is to increase water levels, Bearskin said.

"We are working with Hydro-Québec to provide the pumps in the river to increase the water into the water treatment plant so water can be processed at a higher pace than what we're producing right now," he said. 

For long-term solutions, they are still looking for ways to prevent the situations from happening again. 

"The engineers are working around the clock to come up with the long-term solution, so hopefully we won't find ourselves in this situation again in the future," Bearskin.

It is unclear how long it will take for the water system to be operating normally. Local leaders suggest residents use water sparingly and stock up on bottled water.

"Right now they're working on fixing all the problems, and it's day-to-day," said Coonishish.