Published 8:38 am Friday, October 16, 2026 By Jill Westerman Northern News Services Ensuring reliable drinking water and keeping pace with community growth are at the heart of a $57.3-million water treatment project welcomed by Rankin Inlet’s senior administrative officer. Darren Flynn said the new plant will replace an aging system that requires considerable effort to keep operating while providing more comprehensive treatment and more than doubling water storage capacity. “We’re very pleased with it. Of course we are,” Flynn said. For the hamlet, he said reliable, safe drinking water and the ability to accommodate growth are equally important. “Rankin has been growing exponentially the last number of years, and this will allow us to continue to keep up with pace,” said Flynn. The project listing identifies Najjuk Construction as the successful bidder for the $57,348,587 contract. The replacement includes a new treatment plant at Williamson Lake, a new raw-water intake and pumphouse at Nipissar Lake, as well as connections and upgrades to the existing utilidor network. Flynn described the existing plant in one word: “ancient.” “It takes an awful lot of effort to keep it going right now as it is,” he said. The change will involve considerably more than replacing an old building. Flynn said the existing system relies on chlorine injection to disinfect water, while the new facility will add filtration and other treatment processes. “What we have right now is really what’s called a disinfection plant. It’s really just chlorine injection,” he said, “whereas this new plant will be a full water treatment plant, filtration and all.” Treatment standards Flynn said the existing plant does not meet current water treatment standards. The replacement’s increased capacity will also help the community meet growing demand, he said. “The tank storage will be more than two times what’s currently on hand.” According to the project description, the new facility will include filtration, ultraviolet disinfection, treated-water storage tanks, truck-filling equipment and backup power. The contractor’s responsibilities extend beyond construction. The contract calls for supplying and transporting equipment, installing and testing the facilities, commissioning the completed system and operating it for two years. In a public announcement about the project, Quebec-based Hardy Construction described Najjuk as its Inuit sister company. Flynn said the new plant will be built beside the existing facility at Williamson Lake, occupying a larger footprint in the same general area. He described plans to demolish the old plant once the replacement is commissioned. The project listing identifies decommissioning of the existing treatment facilities as preliminary, while removal of the existing Williamson Lake storage tank is included. The hamlet has been working on development permits, according to Flynn. He identified the project as a Government of Nunavut undertaking, funded through its capital plan, with procurement and employment requirements handled through the territorial tendering process. While the replacement will improve treatment infrastructure, Flynn cautioned against treating every boil-water advisory as evidence of a problem with the existing plant. He said such advisories in Rankin Inlet over the past five years have predominantly been related to construction, including connecting new water lines. “They put in a boil water advisory simply because they’re getting ready to hook up a new line that’s been installed,” he said. “It’s a high level of precaution.” Flynn acknowledged that advisories are inconvenient but said they serve an important purpose of taking precautions to prevent contaminated water from entering the public supply. The new plant, meanwhile, is an investment the hamlet considers necessary for both its existing needs and its future, he said.
New $57.3-million water plant promises reliable supply and room to grow
