Residents of Deline are being advised to boil their water for at least one minute.

An announcement was issued by the chief environmental health officer on Oct. 31, citing increased muddiness, or turbidity, of the water. It noted that no associated illnesses have been reported and the advisory is intended to avoid any unwanted illnesses.

"The chief environmental health officer, in collaboration with the community government, will continue to monitor the situation and provide formal notice to lift this boil water advisory," said Northwest Territories Health and Social Services communications manager Andrew Wind. "All water used for drinking, preparing food, hot and cold beverages, ice cubes, washing fruits and vegetables and dental hygiene must be boiled.

"This is of particular importance in the case of the preparation of infant formulas. Do not drink water from public drinking fountains. It is not necessary to boil water used for other household purposes. You may shower, bathe or wash using tap water, but avoid swallowing the water."

Standard 'Brita' type drinking water filters do not disinfect water and will not accomplish the same safety measures as boiling the water for at least a minute. However, people who have access to distillation stations, reverse osmosis systems or a filter of one micron or less can continue to use their purified water.

The GNWT has released a document of for those needing further information.