Gjoa Haven (Jan 10/05) - People are conserving water and Gjoa Haven is waiting for help, four weeks after its main water line froze, Dec. 13.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed that our friends in the GN will help us," said Raymond Kamookak, a hamlet spokesperson on Thursday. "On Tuesday they told us they are sending help to help us solve our problem."

By Thursday help still had not arrived. Initially, hamlet workers used steam to try to thaw out the pipe. That didn't work, he said.

"So we talked to the department of CG&S about it," he said. "They relayed the message to the GN to send help to the community before Christmas. But it was the holidays and everything, and it was hard to find people."

A plumber came in to check pipe last week, but Kamookak said the damage was even worse, "There was a problem with the heat trace system, too."

The town's water supply was coming from Water Lake.

"We have to pump water into water trucks," said Kamookak. "Delivery is slow, but there is nothing else we can do."

Still, it was business as usual, but with added delays and conservation efforts.