HOPEDALE — The Canadian Red Cross and a Newfoundland and Labrador business have stepped in to help the town of Hopedale after a state of emergency was declared.

Mayor Wayne Piercy said on Friday that the northern Labrador community's entire water system is at risk of freezing.

Nor-Lab Ltd., a food and beverage distributor based in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, has donated bottled water in case homes lose access to drinking water.

The Red Cross says a shipment of 360 bottles was delivered to town on Saturday.

Piercy says the problem started about two weeks ago, when the town's main reservoir dropped to a low level due to a leaking valve and a bad storm that blew water out of the pond.

A pipe that links a supplementary reservoir with the main one has already frozen, and local residents have been asked to keep their taps open to prevent more freezing.