Ask West Kelowna
Current status of West Kelowna’s Water Service Areas
- Last updated: Nov. 27, 2024 at 4:15 p.m.
Powers Creek Water Service Area:
- Multi-barrier treatment objectives for drinking water are being met at the plant and throughout the distribution system.
- Current advisories:
- No water quality advisories are in effect in this system.
Rose Valley Water Service Area Update:
- Multi-barrier treatment objectives for drinking water are being met at the plant and throughout the majority of the distribution system.
- Current advisories – one – isolated to one specific zone:
- The City’s annual watermain flushing program is progressing, with crews continuing work in Zone 2 of the former Sunnyside/Pritchard Water System (see map), with an isolated, precautionary water quality advisory also remaining in effect in this area only, while the flushing is underway, and continuing until further notice.
- For more information, please see the Friday, Nov. 22 Public Service Announcement.
- Source water improvements approved
- Nov. 26 – Regular Council Meeting updates:
- Presentation provided on Rose Valley Reservoir
- Larratt Aquatic Consulting provided a presentation on Rose Valley Reservoir, the source water for the Rose Valley Water Service Area, including a brief history, its challenges and opportunities in providing safe drinking water to approximately half the City. While the challenges of the 2023 McDougall Creek Wildfire have yet to be fully realized and may not be for a further four or five years, the City is working with water experts, including Larratt, to provide solutions for the source water.
- Watch the presentation
- This link queues up to the start of the presentation at 9 minutes and 33 seconds and provides a PDF link to the PowerPoint slides
- Rose Valley Reservoir source water improvements approved
- Following a presentation on Rose Valley Reservoir source water challenges, including the effects of manganese, Council directed staff to amend the 2024 Budget to reallocate $2.5 million from Rose Valley Water Reserves for source water improvements in the reservoir. The improvements will include advance aeration and oxidation systems to be completed in 2025. Staff also continues ongoing monitoring of the reservoir, anticipates that the next increase in manganese levels will occur as early as March, and will be prepared to restart the temporary advance oxidation system to help manage any spikes. Staff will also be adding water quality test results, from 2024 onward, to the City’s website, to help improve transparency to the public across all water operations.
- Watch the presentation
- This link queues up to the start of the presentation at 37 minutes and 36 seconds and provides a PDF link to the comprehensive staff report
- The City’s annual watermain flushing program is progressing, with crews continuing work in Zone 2 of the former Sunnyside/Pritchard Water System (see map), with an isolated, precautionary water quality advisory also remaining in effect in this area only, while the flushing is underway, and continuing until further notice.
| Water Quality Advisory |
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| Watermain flushing |
| Learn more about our Watermain flushing program. |
| Bulk Water Station |
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Should a water advisory be required, a free potable water source will become available at Shannon Lake and Asquith Roads. Please bring your own clean bottles for filling. The tap is on the Asquith Road side of the facility. Learn more about the Bulk Water Station. |
| Annual Drinking Water Reports and Testing Results |
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Combined Annual Water Quality Reports for all systems are published online once they become available. Historic reports are available by calling 778-797-2246. |
Water Systems and Advisory Map
| Advisories, Notices and Orders |
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Interior Health provides information on the differences between the various types of water advisories, notices and orders and what each one means: |
| Drinking Water Requirements |
| Interior Health requires water providers to have long term plans to reach the following goals:
• 4 log (99.9%) inactivation of viruses • 3 log (99.9%) removal or inactivation of giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium • 2 treatment processes for all surface drinking water systems • Less than 1 NTU of turbidity with a target of 0.1 NTU • 0 total and fecal coliforms and E. Coli The City achieves these goals in the Powers Creek and Rose Valley Water Service Areas. |
| Helpful Links and Resources |
| Permit to Operate |
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Under the Safe Drinking Water Regulation of the Health Act and the Drinking Water Protection Regulation of the Drinking Water Protection Act, all public water utilities are required to obtain a Permit to Operate from the local health authority. The regulations also allow health officials to place conditions on this operating permit that the utility must meet. For information on these permits, please call the Engineering Department at 778-797-8840. |
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