Wrigley (Oct 08/04) - Some residents of Wrigley are worried their water supply may be contaminated by fuel, but government officials say it's safe to drink from the taps.

When a contractor began digging at the new water treatment plant site in late September, the soil was found to be saturated with hydrocarbons, said Wilson Dimsdale, senior administrative officer for the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation. The plant site is near the community's fresh water well.

"Everywhere they dug there was contamination. There definitely is a threat to the drinking water, there's no doubt about it," Dimsdale said, adding that some residents have decided to stop consuming well water.

Debbie DeLancey, deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), assured residents that all current information shows the water supply is not polluted.

"We have no indication right now that the water is not safe," she said, adding that advisories have not been issued in the community.

On Tuesday, an engineer took new water samples but test results aren't expected until the third week of October.

Wrigley's water is tested monthly for bacteria, but the last time it was examined for chemicals was in September 2003, according to Dimsdale.

Of the three samples taken at that time, one showed traces of hydrocarbons in the water, but it was far from dangerous levels, he said.

Resident Alma Ekenale said she has always considered the local water to be of excellent quality.

She said she's not concerned about contamination because she uses a water filter. However, she said she knows of elders who only drink collected rain water.

Investigation to come

The extent of the contamination is yet unknown, as is the source, DeLancey said.

Officials from several government departments were in Wrigley on Tuesday to meet with chief and council as well as the public.

The Department of Resources has committed to a thorough investigation of the source of contamination. If identified, that party will be responsible for the cost of clean up, according to DeLancey. If it remains a mystery, the GNWT will likely pick up the tab, she noted.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has pledged to make funding available so Wrigley can do its own water testing in the future.

The new water treatment plant project is postponed, but not cancelled, DeLancey said.

Wrigley's existing water treatment plant uses chlorine injection. The new model, valued at approximately $1.3 million, is much more sophisticated, according to Dimsdale.