Running water puzzles Iqaluit engineers

Iqaluit's public works department is trying to find out why a creek near the Frobisher Inn is filling up with groundwater.

Water has been building up in the stream over the past few days, cutting off walkways, and encroaching on a bridge that leads to a building complex.

Public Works Director Mark Hall says Iqaluit had an unusually wet summer and autumn, and freeze-up is occurring later than usual this year.

While that could explain the groundwater, Hall says the new hospital construction site is also near the stream, and it could be possible workers accidentally diverted water flows in the area.

He says for now, city crews are using bulldozers to stop the flow of water.

"What we're doing currently is we built a snow dam or an ice dam across the stream. We were a little concerned regarding the bridge that goes across the road into the Frob[isher Inn] and Brown Building complex, which is why we're concentrating our efforts in that location at the moment," he says.

"But we will be working downstream. And we'll be opening basically a water course, to make sure that any further ground water has somewhere to go."

City crews are also checking the utilidor water and sewage system for leaks, and analyzing water samples.

Hall says a consulting engineer will double-check their work early next week.