A team of water experts from WSP have been recognized for their work in helping to solve the 2021 water crisis in Iqaluit, Nunavut, receiving an Award of Merit from Engineering News Record’s (ENR) Global Best Projects competition.
In October 2021, residents in Iqaluit detected the smell of fuel in the municipal water supply. Members of the WSP water team out of Winnipeg, Manitoba arrived in the Nunavut capital a few days later to locate the issue, create a solution, and remove any residual fuel from the current water supply. Within a few days, a contamination pathway was located and removed, followed by the removal of a historic tank.
A second fuel problem emerged weeks later, with the WSP team again responding to address the emerging issue. This time, a tar-like substance secreting from one of the walls had leaked into one of the tanks, contaminating the water inside. A bypass system was installed, one that would re-route the water while still passing through UV and chlorine detection, again providing clean drinking water for the residents.
