SASKATOON — Pelican Narrows community officials said a boil water advisory may be lifted this weekend, as they continue testing the water after the line that draws water from the lake into the wet well and the water treatment plant was compromised.
Reduced water flow into the treatment system has pushed reservoir levels to a precarious point. Technical teams believe the restriction is occurring upstream of the plant rather than at the pumps themselves, raising concerns about how quickly the problem can be resolved.
This prompted the leadership of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, which administers its traditional territory, to put emergency measures in place, helping stabilize the water system and enabling reservoirs to return to near-full levels following several days of critical conditions. The advisory was issued as a precaution after water flow from the community’s raw water intake line dropped significantly on Jan. 4, raising concerns that the treatment system could lose circulation and freeze during extreme winter temperatures.
Leaders emphasized that burst pipes or broken water lines did not cause the issue; it was due to a restriction somewhere along the lake intake that draws water into the treatment plant. Emergency management officials confirmed that one water quality test has already come back within acceptable limits.
Public health authorities require three consecutive clear test results before the advisory can be lifted. With potable water now being added to the system and reservoirs stabilizing, officials said they do not anticipate difficulty meeting those requirements within the next one or two days.
At the height of the crisis, schools, clinics and significant community facilities were closed to reduce demand, and strict conservation measures were imposed. Bottled water was distributed to the community of over 4,000 people to ensure safe drinking water and ease pressure on the system.
Engineers and other members of the technical team had a breakthrough Jan. 9, when a temporary pumping system was installed, drawing additional water directly from the lake through an ice-cut access point. They reported that the system was operational by the early afternoon, allowing the water treatment plant to refill treated-water reservoirs. While conditions improved, officials cautioned that returning to normal depends on identifying and addressing the cause of the intake restriction.
Divers are scheduled to inspect the underwater intake screen and pipeline, which extend approximately 630 feet into Pelican Lake and have been in service since the early 1980s, sometime next week. The inspection will determine whether debris, damage or another obstruction is limiting flow.
Emergency management director Duane Hebert said contingency plans included the possibility of evacuations if the system failed, but those plans are no longer required given the recent stabilization. He credited the co-ordinated efforts of community leadership, public works, engineers and volunteers for preventing a worst-case scenario.
Officials said some facilities may begin reopening gradually as water levels remain stable, even as repair and inspection work continues. Residents are still being asked to conserve water until the advisory is officially lifted and normal operations are restored. Still, local leaders stressed that while the immediate danger has passed, caution remains necessary. Further updates on the boil water advisory and the intake investigation will be provided once health officials complete testing and engineers determine whether permanent repairs are needed.
