End of emergency expected
Northern News Services
Monday, February 23, 2015
POND INLET
Pond Inlet's state of emergency - declared Feb. 10 due to disabled sewage trucks that reduced the hamlet's inability to keep up with sewage - is due to be lifted this week if a government mechanic can get a third truck running.
The hamlet has four sewage trucks - three newer 2,500-gallon trucks and one older 1,000-gallon truck - but as of Feb. 10, only the small truck was running properly.
A mechanic was able to get a second truck, which lost its ability to reverse, back in order by Feb. 13. The remaining trucks require large parts, which were due to arrive with two mechanics over this past weekend. Darren Flynn, assistant deputy minister at the Department of Community Services, who was one of several officials in the hamlet Feb. 19, said he was told the hamlet will lift its state of emergency once a third truck is on the road, probably by Feb. 24.
"They've managed to catch up on the backlog," Flynn said. "But it requires them running 16 hours a day. Everybody has service now."
The housing association and the hamlet are now working on cleaning up the mess, which saw some household sewage tanks overflowing into homes and onto properties.
- Casey Lessard
