Dr. Maura Hanrahan and MAEP student Nick Mercer receive grant

Maura Hanrahan, EPI, and co-investigator Nick Mercer, MAEP student, have received a grant from the Harris Centre/RBC Water Fund for the following project: Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RWH) as a Measure to Improve Drinking Water Access in a Remote Water-Insecure Community. Their community partners are NunatuKavut Community Council and the Black Tickle-Domino Local Service District, Labrador and the project will be carried out this summer.

Attached is a photo of Black Tickle’s Potable Water Dispensing Unit (PWDU) that is inconsistently funded and distant from much of the community. Also attached is a photo of one of the shallow community wells that residents rely on when the PWDU is not operating. Our hope is that RWH will provide significant “general use” water for households, thus freeing up time and funds for the retrieval of drinking water. If successful, this project may have applicability in other remote sub-Arctic communities.