The Town of Hay River and surrounding communities in the Northwest Territories can finally drink water straight from the tap, after officials lifted a boil water advisory on June 16, 2026. The advisory lasted 23 days, and it affected roughly 4,000 people in Hay River, Kátł’odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, and Kakisa who all share the same water system.
The Government of the Northwest Territories said turbidity levels in the water dropped enough that the treatment plant and water trucks could be fully sanitized. The advisory was first put in place on May 24 when spring breakup on the Hay River stirred up so much mud and silt that the aging treatment plant could not keep the water clear. Residents had to boil their water for at least one minute before drinking it or using it for cooking.
Mayor Kandis Jameson noted that boil water advisories have become an almost yearly headache for the area, though this one stretched on longer than most. In 2020 the region spent more than 100 days under similar warnings. The plant had managed to get the treatment process itself back to normal by May 27, but murky water lingered in pipes throughout the system, forcing the advisory to stay in place for an additional week.
Earlier this spring the federal government put $20.1 million toward building a new water treatment plant in Hay River, with the goal of ending these recurring boil water advisories. Deputy Mayor Keith Dohey called it the biggest and most important infrastructure investment the town has. The new facility is still a few years away, but it is meant to serve the same four communities and handle the kind of muddy spring runoff that keeps shutting down the current plant.
Until the new plant is built, residents can count on clear water flowing again for now. Anyone with questions can call the Town office at 867-874-6522.
