Update: Rose Valley Treatment Plant construction requires temporary no outdoor use and Boil Water Notice

UPDATE: Adds hand watering information

September 08, 2020

The City of West Kelowna, in consultation with Interior Health, will issue a planned Boil Water Notice for the Lakeview-Rose Valley System, for up to one week, effective Tuesday, September 8, for civil works required for Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant. No automatic nor underground irrigation will also be required to ensure water availability for other domestic uses. Hand watering of flower beds and gardens will be allowed.

The important construction milestone involves the tie in of a 600mm main that will eventually connect the Lakeview-Rose Valley System to the water treatment plant. This proactive Boil Water Notice is being issued because the works may result in untreated water entering the system. Without the benefit of chlorine treatment, disinfection against microorganisms (bacteria, protozoa, etc.) will not occur; and therefore, all users must use water brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute or seek a safe, alternative source for brushing teeth, drinking, making baby formula, beverages, food and ice and washing fruits and vegetables.

The bulk filling station at Shannon Lake and Asquith Roads provides a safe, alternative source of drinking water from the state of the art Powers Creek Water Filtration Plant that uses multiple methods of treatment, which the City will replicate at the Rose Valley treatment facility when completed in 2022. Customers can use the touch-free filling station free during the Boil Water Notice. Bring clean bottles for filling. The tap is located on the Asquith Road side of the facility. In keeping with COVID-19 guidelines, users should not touch the station nor their faces, sanitize their hands before and after using the station, and maintain a safe distance of two meters between themselves and others.

The water main tie-in work will also reduce by 40 per cent the amount of water available throughout the Lakeview-Rose Valley System. To ensure that water is available for boiling, cooking, laundry and bathing, no automatic nor underground domestic and agricultural irrigation systems should be used until Saturday, September 12 at 12 p.m. Hand watering is permitted.

To ensure essential water availability throughout the system at all times, crews must complete a second similar tie-in to a 750mm water main, anticipated by the end of September. The City will issue more information as the date for that work approaches.

Sign up for Boil Water Notices, Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant project updates and other city news and alerts at westkelownacity.ca/subscribe.

The City also advises Rose Valley Trail users that the trailhead location on Rosewood Drive will be inaccessible on Wednesday, September 9 due to construction traffic and equipment staging. Crews recommend accessing the trails via other points such as Roseridge Court.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of residents and businesses during this required infrastructure work.

The City of West Kelowna advises customers at the start and end of all Boil Water Notices through its e-news service, the media, the municipality’s Facebook and Twitter feeds and its website at westkelownacity.ca/news.