Water Quality Advisory continues in Lakeview System | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kelowna News

Water Quality Advisory continues in Lakeview System

Image Credit: Wikipedia/Jenny Downing

WEST KELOWNA - Until further notice, a Water Quality Advisory will continue in the City of West Kelowna’s Lakeview System, affecting approximately 4,000 connections (11,000 customers) in neighbourhoods including: Lakeview Heights, Rose Valley, Boucherie Centre, Shannon Woods, Tallus Ridge and Shannon Lake. The City of West Kelowna has provided an interactive map on its homepage under News at www.westkelownacity.ca to help customers determine if they live in the affected area.

Residents living in the Westbank, West Kelowna Estates, Pritchard and Sunnyside Water Systems are not affected. Neighbourhoods not affected by the Water Quality Advisory include: Glenrosa, Westbank, Smith Creek, Gellatly, Green Bay, South Boucherie/Mission Hill/Sunnyside, Pritchard Drive/Jennings and Hitchner Roads, West Kelowna Estates/Bear Creek, Casa Loma and areas of Westside Road within the municipal boundary.

Due to higher than normal turbidity, it is recommended that children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems bring water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute, or use an alternate, safe source of water. People in these categories should boil water for uses such as: Drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables that are to be eaten raw, preparing food, mixing baby formula and making ice.

As turbidity increases, bacteria, viruses and microorganisms can attach themselves to the suspended particles in water. These particles can interfere with disinfection by shielding the microorganisms from the chlorine. Turbidity levels are constantly being observed by City of West Kelowna staff, through a remote monitoring system; the average turbidity remains at 1.3 NTUs.

Turbidity guidelines are nationally established standards and are as follows:

  • Good (Less than 1 NTU) – No water restrictions are recommended.
  • Fair (1-5 NTU) - It is recommended that children, the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, and anyone seeking additional protection, use water that is brought to a running boil for one minute, or a safe alternative.
  • Poor (>5 NTU) - It is recommended that all users bring water to a running boil for one minute, or use a safe alternative.

For more information, please visit BC Health File – Preventing Water-Borne Infections for People with Weakened Immune Systems.

Algae growth in Rose Valley Reservoir is greater than normal due to unusual weather this year, contributing to the higher turbidity levels. NTU levels have not been this high in the Lakeview System since 2008.

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