City Says Water Keeps Rising, Sewers ‘Heavily Compromised’

The water in the center of the Hay River continued to rise Thursday afternoon, which does not suggest that people will be able to return to the community anytime soon.

Thousands of residents in Hay River and neighboring Kátł’odeeche First Nation were ordered to evacuate Wednesday night. In a Thursday afternoon update, the news was grim.

So far there is no sign of the water starting to recede, the town of Hay River stated, and municipal sewer and water systems are falling apart.

“It will take months, if not years in some cases, to restore our community,” lead administrator Glenn Smith told Cabin Radio when contacted at his home. Like many, he hadn’t slept all night.

Here’s the latest from Smith at 2:30 pm Thursday.

river conditions

The River Hay is still packed with ice from Great Slave Lake through the east and west channels to Delancey Estates.

Smith said the ice was reportedly moving at the tail end but, from home, he hadn’t seen any movement yet.

Expect plenty of water still to come from the south, where rain and snow were nearly constant throughout the weekend. More flooding, even to a greater extent, is not out of the question.

“People can’t go back,” Smith said. “We are still on an evacuation order until this risk subsides.”

Entry into the community is restricted to essential and emergency services.

Damage assessment

A full assessment of the damage caused by the floods has begun.

“The problem right now is with the sewage lift station,” Smith said, explaining that one station, which provides sewage processing for about half the community, is currently flooded, with water up to half the building. .

Residents living on McRorie Drive which runs north through downtown and to Eagle Crescent and the West Channel Bridge do not have sewer service. The city cannot move the waste through the pipe system.

Smith said the city’s water treatment plant was running on reserve water. (There is a boil water advisory for South Slave communities, as is typical this time of year, and Hay River residents who did not evacuate were asked to conserve water.)

Community areas remain without power. Power lines are being inspected for potential safety hazards.

Coming home

“We need to be able to restore or provide services before people can come into the city,” Smith said.

He hopes the city will take a phased approach to bringing people home, whenever possible.

That process will begin only once the ice moves, utilities are restored, and the city is confident that there are no downed power lines or any other type of hazard that could put human safety at risk.

“We’re doing the best we can to make sure people can get back safely and as quickly as possible,” Smith said.

“We recognize that it will take months, if not years in some cases, to restore our community.”

Related