The Atikamekw community of Manawan, in Lanaudière, has been hit since Monday by a ban on consuming drinking water from its aqueduct network due to a break in the pumping system.
Posted at 3:45 p.m.
Workers are currently hard at work installing a temporary water connection and installing a new pump. An update on the progress of the work is expected during the day on Thursday.
“We hope that with these actions the situation will return to normal. However, it will take a certain number of days to decontaminate the network and before the water in the reservoir becomes fit for consumption”, indicated the head of the Atikamekw Council of Manawan (CDAM), Paul-Émile Ottawa, in point virtual press.
During this time, bottles of water are distributed to residents. Some of them come out of the community to take a shower and wash their clothes.
“At the moment, the schools are closed, even the health center is deprived of water. Everything is paralyzed,” commented Chief Ottawa.
Nearly 15 people from the seniors’ home have been relocated to a hotel in the region while the situation is remedied. Further evacuations may take place depending on the evolution of the situation.
The cut in drinking water occurred on the night of Sunday and Monday. The exact cause of the breakage has yet to be determined, but authorities hope to identify it on Thursday.
Three hypotheses are being studied, indicated the director of community development at the CDAM, Bryan Decontie. The source of the failure could be a mechanical breakdown, a problem with the water table or the sedimentation of the well wall.
Chief Ottawa explained that the drinking water supply facilities are about 50 years old and show signs of wear.
The water supply problem adds to the management of the pandemic as the community has approximately 70 active cases of COVID-19.
The emergency committee is called upon to manage both the health crisis and the lack of water, overloading the workforce, explained Chief Ottawa.
“I’m afraid they’ll get sick from it. We shouldn’t lose them at this time because we really need them for the future. »
Road safety problem
Chief Ottawa also took the opportunity to challenge the Quebec Ministry of Transport to improve the configuration of the road that connects Manawan to Saint-Michel-des-Saints, which was initially a forest road.
The departure from the road of a tanker truck carrying water yesterday brought to the fore a safety problem for vehicles, he underlined.
“The truck was close to hitting an electricity pole. It would have deprived us of power for at least 24 hours, ”supported Chief Ottawa.
He explained that the contents of the truck were emptied at the scene of the accident to route it to the water tank in order to maintain a certain level and respond to the provisional measures.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Facebook and The Canadian Press News Fellowships.