Rose Valley Water Service Area update - Aug 1, 2024

Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024

The City of West Kelowna is making adjustments at Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant to reduce discoloration from increased manganese in Rose Valley Reservoir.

With the support of water consultants, the City is working on implementing the addition of a chemical oxidant to help remove manganese from the water. It is expected that manganese levels and water colour should improve sometime next week.

The treatment plant was designed to treat conditions in the reservoir, but in its first year of commissioning, ongoing adjustments were expected and are being made. The City of West Kelowna has worked with water consultants on options prior to determining the course of action.

Various new and existing conditions are impacting the reservoir. City staff continue to investigate the conditions leading to the increased manganese levels in Rose Valley Reservoir to better assess whether the levels will continue to remain high, and what options are available to decrease manganese long-term. The City will continue with monitoring and efforts, including watermain flushing, to reduce the discoloration.

The City is continuing with increased sampling, testing and analyses at the reservoir, at Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant and at several sites in neighbourhoods throughout the system, to verify that the water meets Drinking Water Protection Regulations and that health-based guidelines are being achieved. The City tests for bacteria, chemistry and other factors in water. While no water quality advisories are required, currently, the City of West Kelowna will provide notice to the media and public, if samples should reveal continued levels above maximum acceptable concentrations (MACs).

This week, City test results have shown that two sampling sites in Zone 2 of the former West Kelowna Estates System, marginally exceeded the maximum levels for manganese. Testing and analyses are continuing, and results will be reported. Please note, a precautionary, isolated Water Quality Advisory is in effect, for watermain flushing, in Zone 2. See the Water Quality Advisory map to determine if you live in the watermain flushing area, indicated by the yellow crosshatched section on the map.

The City of West Kelowna continues to consult with Interior Health, and a water quality advisory has not been required to date for the discoloration caused by the manganese. Manganese concentrations can be significantly influenced by environmental conditions, such as those in Rose Valley Reservoir; and the drinking water guidelines are based on exposure over time. The City of West Kelowna is working on short- and long-term actions to reduce the manganese levels.

For more information on manganese, residents can refer to Health Canada’s dedicated webpage. Health Canada notes that formula reconstituted with tap water can be an important source of exposure to manganese for bottle-fed infants. In areas where the level of manganese in drinking water is above the guideline, it is recommended that an alternative source of water be used to reconstitute infant formula. Parents with infants that are reconstituting infant formula should choose an alternative source of water.

HealthLink BC also provides information on Manganese in Drinking Water.

Should residents wish to use an alternative source of drinking water, the bulk filling station at Asquith and Shannon Lake Roads is available. Please note Shannon Lake Active Transportation Corridor construction, traffic pattern changes, and detours, and bring clean bottles for filling.

As new information is available, the City of West Kelowna will provide updates through its eNotification System to the public and the media and on its website at westkelownacity.ca/waterquality and westkelownacity.ca/news. Please remain signed up to receive City news and alerts directly to your inbox and encourage family, friends and neighbours to sign up at westkelownacity.ca/subscribe.