Municipal water quantities and health in Nunavut households: An exploratory case study in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorDaley, Kiley
dc.contributor.authorCastleden, Heather
dc.contributor.authorJamieson, Rob
dc.contributor.authorFurgal, Chris
dc.contributor.authorEll, Lorna
dc.date.accessioned2025-02-20T19:40:16Z
dc.date.available2025-02-20T19:40:16Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractAccess to adequate quantities of water has a protective effect on human health and well-being. Despite this, public health research and interventions are frequently focused solely on water quality, and international standards for domestic water supply minimums are often overlooked or unspecified. This trend is evident in Inuit and other Arctic communities even though numerous transmissible diseases and bacterium infections associated with inadequate domestic water quantities are prevalent. Our objective was to explore the pathways by which the trucked water distribution systems being used in remote northern communities are impacting health at the household level, with consideration given to the underlying social and environmental determinants shaping health in the region. Using a qualitative case study design, we conducted 37 interviews (28 residents, 9 key informants) and a review of government water documents to investigate water usage practices and perspectives. These data were thematically analysed to understand potential health risks in Arctic communities and households. Each resident receives an average of 110 litres of municipal water per day. Fifteen of 28 households reported experiencing water shortages at least once per month. Of those 15, most were larger households (5 people or more) with standard sized water storage tanks. Water shortages and service interruptions limit the ability of some households to adhere to public health advice. The households most resilient, or able to cope with domestic water supply shortages, were those capable of retrieving their own drinking water directly from lake and river sources. Residents with extended family and neighbours, whom they can rely on during shortages, were also less vulnerable to municipal water delays. The relatively low in-home water quantities observed in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, appear adequate for some families. Those living in overcrowded households, however, are accessing water in quantities more typically seen in water insecure developing countries. We recommend several practical interventions and revisions to municipal water supply systems.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelFaculty
dc.description.sponsorshipThis study was supported by research funding from the Government of Nunavut and the Northern Scientific Training Program.
dc.identifier.citationDaley, K., Castleden, H., Jamieson, R., Furgal, C., & Ell, L. (2014). Municipal water quantities and health in Nunavut households: an exploratory case study in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 73(1), 23843. 10.3402/ijch.v73.23843
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v73.23843
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/21251
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherInternational Journal of Circumpolar Health
dc.rightsCC-BY 4.0
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
dc.subject.departmentSchool of Public Administration
dc.titleMunicipal water quantities and health in Nunavut households: An exploratory case study in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada
dc.typeArticle

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
daley_kiley_Int. J. Circumpolar Health_2014-rev.pdf
Size:
858.64 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Faculty and Staff Publications
 
University of Victoria Libraries

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.