Fresh water is coming to the Kitselas First Nation’s community of Gitaus.
The community, located east of Terrace just off of Hwy16 and one of two Kitselas residential areas, has been trucking in potable water from Thornhill for more than two years after the community’s main well suddenly dried up.
That had been predicted by the designers of the original water systems when it was built in the 1990s.
Residents have grown weary of the added chlorine and water restrictions during heat waves, said Kitselas chief councillor Joe Bevan.
Luckily, the search that began in 2014 has located two aquifers which Bear Creek Contracting is currently fitting with pipes that will connect to the Gitaus water system.
“We are getting some work done on it right now. We found aquifers out there and we are starting to tap into them now. We have a drilling programming and area swinging out some new pipe to the water tower,” said Bevan.
The crew was originally looking at spots in the Kleanza Creek park area but drilling revealed water closer to the boundaries with Gitaus.
Bevan said that it’s good having two aquifers at the disposal of the Kitselas “so if this one doesn’t work we can use the other.”
He said he is confident that the $3 million water system will be in place within months but he hopes that hooking both up isn’t prolonged.
“I just hope it gets done all at once and not piecemeal, section by section,” he said.
The money comes from a government program that aims to provide aboriginal communities with a cleaner water supply.
He said that last summer it appeared that Gitaus residents were using a huge amount of water, but they discovered that there were in fact leaks in the system.