Image Credit: Shutterstock

ENDERBY - High turbidity caused by last night’s rainfall is creating water issues in Enderby.

The City of Enderby issued a mandatory water conservation advisory this morning, May 5,for all customers west of the bridge, according to a release from the municipality. The City has also issued a boil water advisory for all customers west of the Enderby Bridge. The advisory covers all of Enderby and the Gunter-Ellison Service Extension. 

“The City is asking those customers to limit their use of water to that which is absolutely necessary. This will help ensure that fire flows and potable water for essential needs are preserved,” chief administrative officer Tate Bengston says in the release.

Runoff from Thursday night’s thunderstorm created elevated turbidity in the Shuswap River, which is the Enderby’s primary water source.

Normally, the City would switch to its secondary well source east of the bridge, but the loss of a water main under the river bed last month means that’s not an option.

“As a result, the City is reliant upon its primary source, which cannot produce water when river turbidity is extremely high,” Bengston says.
 
The advisory will be in effect until the elevated river turbidity subsides. 
 
As the run-off from last night’s rains makes its way through the Shuswap River, the City is hopeful turbidity will decrease. 

“If the river turbidity persists or continues to escalate, the City will take additional measures to provide for public health and safety. If the river turbidity decreases, the advisory will be removed,” Bengston says.
 
The City is in the final stages of readying a temporary solution to reconnect both sources at the river crossing, which will serve as an interim connection until the new lines can be permanently installed. 
 
The Boil Water Advisory for customers east of the bridge also remains in effect. However, customers east of the Bridge are not affected by the mandatory water conservation advisory.

The City recommends bringing drinking water to a rolling boil for at least three minutes prior to consumption.

— This story was updated at 4 p.m. May 5, 2017, to add information on a boil water advisory west of the bridge. 

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston or call 250-309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2017