Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET
The current sewage lagoon in Cape Dorset is capable of doing its job, at least until the new one is fully commissioned and turned over to the municipality, said senior administrative officer Mike Hayward.

This photo of the new sewage lagoon in Cape Dorset was taken in 2010. It shows the leak which senior administrative officer Mike Hayward said could get worse if the lagoon were to be used and reach capacity. - photo courtesy of Municipality of Cape Dorset

The new sewage lagoon still has some leaks that need to be fixed, and the department of Community and Government Services is looking into the work that needs to be done to take care of it.

"When they constructed it, one side of the berm water still leaks out from it so Community and Government Services is doing studies on it and maybe they have to put a liner in it. We're not sure right now," said Hayward.

The new lagoon was built five years ago but there is still $88,000 set aside in this year's budget for repairs, which Finance Minister Keith Peterson said is for warranty work.

The leaks in the new lagoon are small but noticeable, said Hayward.

The hamlet is currently using the old sewage lagoon, which gets the job done and is used on a regular basis. It empties frequently when it gets up to capacity. The new sewage lagoon has more room.

Cape Dorset is not the only Nunavut community with waste water and sewage issues. In the spring session of the legislative assembly, Community and Government Services Minister Lorne Kusugak said it's an ongoing issue throughout the territory.

While the leak is small in the new lagoon, there are concerns that it would get much worse once the lagoon started to fill during spring run-off and through regular use.

"When the lagoon is full, the leak could get worse, causing a failure in the berm," said Hayward.

Some of the tests that have been run include dye tests from the spring runoff and temperature readings and monitoring to make sure the ground isn't thawing beneath the berm.

The new lagoon is needed to replace the aging facilities and is located about 800 metres southeast of the community.

Cape Dorset won't take over the operation of the lagoon until all work has been completed and the leaks are fixed. Until then, it's the Government of Nunavut's responsibility, said Hayward.

Currently, there's no exact date on when the lagoon will be transferred over to the hamlet, but Kusugak said there will be more tests and options looked at this summer and the community will be kept updated on timelines and when the work will finally be finished.

"The reason the hamlet has not taken ownership of it is because of these problems," said Hayward. "If we took ownership before it got commissioned, it would be the hamlet's responsibility to fix it, so we're not taking ownership on something that hasn't been repaired before it even started yet."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.