Ask West Kelowna
In the event of a Boil Water Notice or Water Quality Advisory for any of our systems (Lakeview, Pritchard/Sunnyside, Westbank or West Kelowna Estates), information is posted under news and residents can use our Water Services and Advisories Map (we recommend using browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari or Mozilla/Firefox to view this map), or refer to their quarterly utility bill, to determine if they live in the affected system. Please sign up to receive notifications at the start and end of Boil Water Notices and Water Quality Advisories.
During notices and advisories, a bulk filling station at Shannon Lake and Asquith Roads will be opened to the public, as soon as possible, as a courtesy, to provide an option for potable drinking water. Bring your own clean bottles and hoses for filling. The tap is on the Asquith Road side of the facility.
To learn about the City's short and long term quality improvement goals, please visit our FAQs page.
| Advisories, Notices and Orders - Know the Difference |
Water Quality AdvisoryAn advisory is issued in situations where the public health threat is modest, due to slightly higher than normal turbidity or a greater degree of substances or pathogens in water than what is normally acceptable. With advisories, actions should be taken to protect the most vulnerable populations from risks. The most vulnerable are considered to be children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses and immune deficiencies because their bodies do not have the required antibodies to fight pathogens. Pets in the same categories are vulnerable. These people (and pets) should consume water that has been boiled rapidly for one minute an allowed to cool or be given an alternate safe source for brushing teeth, drinking, making beverages, food or ice and washing fruits and vegetables. Boil Water NoticeA notice is required in situations where the public health threat is significant due to high turbidity or higher than acceptable levels of pathogens or substances but where the risk can be resolved by boiling water. Everyone, including pets, should use water that has been boiled rapidly for one minute or use an alternate safe source for brushing teeth, drinking, making beverages, food and ice and washing fruits and vegetables. Do Not Use Water OrderAn order is the highest-level notification. It is used in situations where a significant public health threat exists from chemicals, pathogens or other substances in water, which cannot be resolved through filtration or boiling water. People must find and use a safe alternate source for brushing teeth, drinking, making beverages, food and ice, laundry, showering and washing fruits and vegetables. What Causes Advisories, Notices and Orders?Drinking water suppliers must make public health their highest priority. The supplier must constantly monitor the system and supply samples to the health authority for testing. If monitoring and testing produce a concerning result, the supplier works with the health authority to advise customers when to implement the necessary safety precautions - an advisory, notice or order. Triggers can include, but are not limited to:
The health officer advises the supplier when they are satisfied (through testing or other safeguards) that the water is safe to drink without boiling. The water supplier must inform all users when the advisory is lifted. A change in water color, murkiness, smell and/or taste often indicates a problem and in such cases, customers should notify their water supplier about quality concerns. |
| Annual and Monthly Reports |
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Combined monthly Water Quality Reports contain information for the Powers Creek/Westbank, Rose Valley/Lakeview, Sunnyside/Pritchard and West Kelowna Estates Systems. Please call 778-797-2246 to obtain reports from previous years. The 2019 reports follow:
Combined Annual Water Quality Reports for all systems are published online once they become available. Historic reports are available by calling 778-797-2246. |
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Drinking Water Requirements |
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Interior Health requires that all water providers 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 of West Kelowna achieves these goals in the Powers Creek System and is actively working toward the construction of a water treatment plant by November 2021 to meet these objectives in the Rose Valley/Lakeview System. Once the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant is constructed and commissioned, then the City of West Kelowna plans to connect the Sunnyside/Pritchard and West Kelowna Estates Systems. |
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Helpful Links and Resources |
If you have questions about the content on any of the above webpages, please contact the respective authority via the contact information on their website. If any of the above links are not working, please email us. |
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New Water Treatment Plant for Rose Valley |
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For updates on the status of the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant, please go to the project webpage. |
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Operation and Distribution Conditions |
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The Medical Health Officer for the Interior Health Authority developed 10 conditions that all water utilities within the region with more than 300 connections must meet in the operation and distribution of the public water supply:
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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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