Water Quality Advisory Issued for Lakeview/Rose Valley Water System

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 26, 2020

The City of West Kelowna, in consultation with Interior Health, is issuing a Water Quality Advisory for the Lakeview/Rose Valley System effective immediately and until further notice, due to above normal turbidity registering at the reservoir and in the distribution network.

The seasonal breakdown of algae is causing the turbidity, which may affect the performance of the chlorine disinfection process. Increased turbidity can mean bacteria, viruses and microorganisms can attach themselves to the suspended particles in the turbid water. These particles can interfere with disinfection by shielding the microorganisms from the chlorine.

Please note the Water Quality Advisory for the Sunnyside/Pritchard System also remains in effect. The West Kelowna Estates and Powers Creek Water Systems are not on any Water Quality Advisories.

To determine which water system you are in, please see our Water Quality Advisory Map at westkelownacity.ca/waterquality.

Under a Water Quality Advisory, children, the elderly, those with weakened immunity must use water brought to a rolling boil for one minute or more, or seek an alternative safe source, for brushing teeth, drinking, making baby formula and ice, preparing food and beverages and washing fruits and vegetables.

A safe source of water is available at the bulk filling station at Shannon Lake and Asquith Roads. Customers can use the station free throughout the duration of the Water Quality Advisory. Please bring clean bottles for filling. The tap is located on the Asquith Road side of the facility. In keeping with COVID-19 guidelines, crews installed a touch free system for filling bottles at the station. Also in keeping with health requirements during COVID-19 users should wash hands regularly, avoid touching their faces and maintain a safe social distance of two meters between themselves and all other users.

The bulk filling station receives water via the state-of-the-art Powers Creek Water Filtration Plant. The City is building a similar, high capacity plant for the West Kelowna Estates, Sunnyside/Pritchard and Lakeview/Rose Valley Systems. Once the new Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant serves these systems, the treatment process will filter away the turbidity. Crews have broken ground on the plant site and anticipate commissioning the facility in summer 2022. For more information on the plant design, construction and financing, please visit westkelownacity.ca/rvwtp.

The Water Quality Advisory will remain in effect until further notice. The City of West Kelowna will advise customers as soon as possible when it is able to end the advisory, through the media, via the City’s eNotification system and its Facebook and Twitter feeds and the municipal website at westkelownacity.ca/news. Residents are encouraged to sign up for City eNotifications at westkelownacity.ca/subscribe  to receive word on Water Quality Advisories and other city news.