Pikangikum declares state of emergency over water

Pikangikum First Nation is expecting a shipment of water by plane later today to provide drinking water for community members.
For several days, there has been no supply of potable water or running water in any form in the community, Chief Jonah Strang said in a release late Friday.
He said community members were resorting to gathering water from a nearby lake to drink.
He said that water is “unsafe to drink,” and places residents at a “significant risk of sickness or worse.”
For that reason, Pikangiukm chief and council declared a state of emergency Friday.
Strang said two years ago, a government study indicated the Pikangikum water system was likely to break down completely, sooner rather than later.
“This has now come to pass,” Strang said in the release. “The water system in Pikangikum requires and immediate and comprehensive overhaul.”
He said when the water system is restored, the Pikangikum First Nation government will not endorse use of the water until its safety has been certified by an independent inspector.
In response to the crisis, the community and the Independent First Nations Alliance (IFNA) have ordered more than 40,000 litres of bottled water.
Pending weather conditions, the first shipment of water is expected to arrive later today (April 16) in a Wasaya Airways flight.