RAINY RIVER FIRST NATIONS – The taps are running again, but a boil water advisory is in effect.
That, in a nutshell, was the message from the public works department to Rainy River First Nations residents on Wednesday morning.
The water distribution system was back online at about 9 a.m. and operators “are carefully monitoring” it, a notice posted on social media said.
“It should be noted that RRFN is on an immediate Boil Water Advisory until further notice as a precautionary measure,” the statement continued.
“Our operators are optimistic that we will be able to continue to have full water service within the community; however, we will be monitoring the levels and will make the call to disengage for periods of time should water levels drop too low.”
Community members are being asked to ease demand on the water system by, among other things, doing laundry off-reserve at the Laundry Centre in Fort Frances and showering at the Emo Inn.
Transportation to those places is available through the band office, by calling (807) 482-2479 ext. 244.
Rainy River First Nations is in a state of emergency until uninterrupted water service can be attained.
The public works department on Friday identified a water main break “that upon excavation turned into a larger issue,” a statement from Rainy River First Nations said.
The statement goes on to say that the main was repaired and water service was restored the next day, but then a surge in demand “caused our water levels to drop below operational limits” and a pump shut down.
To help alleviate the strain on the water distribution system, RRFN will provide another meal tonight, available for pickup at the gym at 5 p.m., the RRFN Facebook page said.
