Supervised by:

Stéphanie Guilherme (Regular member)

Research project description

Characterization of water quality in Nunavik home reservoirs: evaluation and updating of appropriate cleaning strategies

IntroductionNunavik is a remote region in the north of the province of Quebec, with a drinking water supply system diametrically opposed to that available in the south. Drinking water is distributed by tanker and combined with home storage in tanks. These tanks are professionally cleaned every two years, and little is known about the quality of the water stored in them. The lack of information on this subject has led to public health authorities questioning the safety of this water. Thus, my doctoral project will focus on characterizing the quality of drinking water in Nunavik's home tanks and evaluating and updating cleaning strategies.ObjectivesThe main objective of this project is to obtain a broad picture of the quality of drinking water stored in home tanks by monitoring various physico-chemical, microbiological and genomic parameters. This portrait will be established using data collected during an initial sampling campaign in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. A second, more targeted campaign will be carried out later, based on the results obtained during the first campaign. Based on these two stays in the North, it will then be possible to study the influence of these parameters on drinking water quality over time, using a replicated reservoir in the laboratory.Study sitesThe first sampling campaign is scheduled for Kuujjuaq during the summer of 2024. The purpose of this trip to the North is to establish a broad picture of drinking water quality in home reservoirs. In a second phase, Kangiqsualujjuaq has been selected to carry out more targeted studies, where a second sampling campaign will be carried out and adjusted according to the results of summer 2024.Material and methodsThis doctoral project is divided into four main parts: 1.A state of the art (bibliography). 2.Preparation and implementation of an initial sampling campaign in the summer of 2024 to obtain a broad picture of the quality of drinking water stored in home tanks. The samples will then be analyzed, and the associated data processed using various techniques, including bioinformatics. 3.The preparation and execution of a second, more targeted campaign based on the data obtained during the first campaign in summer 2024. Results will be analyzed in the same way as for the 2024 campaign. 4.Use of a reservoir replica at the Université Laval laboratory to study parameter variability as a function of time and storage conditions. This step will enable potential updating of cleaning techniques based on the results. ReferencesCassivi A. et al., 2023. Towards universal access to domestic water: A scoping review on water security in the Arctic, Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering - Volume 247, January 2023, 114060 Gora et al., 2021. Source Water Characteristics and Building-specific Factors Influence Corrosion and Point of Use Water Quality in a Decentralized Arctic Drinking Water System Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, 54, 4, 2192–2201 Gora et al., 2020. Microbiological water quality in a decentralized Arctic drinking water system. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. Issue 7, 2020 Bradford, 2016. Drinking water quality in Indigenous communities. Int. J. Circ. Health, 75(1) Sarkar et al., 2015. Water insecurity in Canadian Indigenous communities. Rur. Rem. Health. 15(4):3354. Bressler et al., 2018. Arctic Council survey on water and sanitation. Int. J. Circumpolar Health, 77:1 Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, 2020. Access to Drinking Water in Inuit Nunangat, ITK Quarterly Research Brie

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