Iqaluit has warned that it may not have enough water in its reservoir to sustain its population of about 7,800 when a freeze hits during the winter unless the city gets more water, according to an official statement.
The city said it is now seeking regulatory approval to pump more than the allowable amount of water from the Apex River and tap into an additional water source.
Officials have proposed using an unnamed lake, located about 3.5 km (2.17 miles) north of Iqaluit, as an additional water source. This same lake was used in 2019 to supplement the city’s water supply.
Although Canada has approximately one-fifth of the world’s fresh water within its borders, the country’s Indigenous communities have historically faced water issues.
Iqaluit is the capital of Nunavut, the northernmost territory of Canada, bordering Greenland, where mainly indigenous people live.
Last year, a state of emergency was declared for about two months after fuel was found in the Arctic city’s water supply, rendering the water undrinkable.
Pope Francis traveled to Iqaluit late last month, during his six-day visit to Canada, to apologize to indigenous people for abuses committed in public schools run by the Roman Catholic Church.