IQALUIT, Nunavut — The federal government has approved a request for the Canadian Armed Forces to help with the water emergency in Nunavut’s capital.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says in a tweet that the government will deploy the military to Iqaluit to co-ordinate and deliver clean drinking water.
The city’s 8,000 residents haven’t been able to consume tap water for 11 days, since it was discovered to contain fuel.
The city says it’s still in the process of flushing the contaminated water from its system and residents need to clean their home’s water tanks.
The city is also set to provide an update later today on the results of additional water testing.
Services at Iqaluit’s hospital have also been affected, as tools cannot be sanitized with the contaminated water.
Nunavut’s health department says the hospital has so far postponed about 30 surgeries, eight urology cases and 28 dental procedures.
The Canadian Press