Chief of Behchoko, N.W.T., says the community is paying too much for water

The Chief of Behchoko, N.W.T.,says the water situation in Edzo, N.W.T., is costing the community too much money.

The community normally pulls its water from the West Channel into an intake pumphouse, where it is transported by pipeline and distributed to the community through a piping system.

But for the last four winters, water has been trucked into the community from Frank Channel.

That's because low water levels have resultedin the freezing of the West Channel, which cuts off the flow from upstream.

When the intake freezes in Edzo,water trucks from Rae the neighbouring communityare dispatched to deliver water.

But Chief Clifford Daniels says the cost to the community government is too high.

"There's point where it's a cost to the community government to make sure they have safe and adequate water."

The community is looking to solve the problem, and a number of solutions have been proposed - including dredging the channel or building a large holding reservoir at the community's water intake.