UPDATE: Boil water notice downgraded for Black Mountain

(UPDATE: June 9, 2018 @8 a.m.)

A boil water notice issued for the Black Mountain Irrigation District on May 23 has been downgraded to a water quality advisory.

A water quality advisory is the lowest advisory level and is used in situations where the public health threat posed by the water supply system is “modest."

The district says that crews have replaced a faulty valve at a reservoir outlet which led to the previous boil water notice.

Replacing the faulty valve required draining the reservoir and bypassing the Water Treatment Plant and utilizing untreated water directly from Mission Creek.

Chlorination has continued uninterrupted throughout this process. As of June 8, 2018, the reservoir has been refilled with high-quality treated water, which will begin to work its way into the distribution system.

The district says they will be flushing program to replace the lower quality water currently in the distribution system with high quality water from the Water Treatment Plant.

Flushing the distribution system may take up to three weeks, after which it may be possible to remove all advisories.

While health risks during a Water Quality Advisory are considered low, Interior Health recommends that children, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, and anyone seeking additional protection drink boiled water or a safe alternative.

For these at-risk populations, water intended for drinking, washing fruits or vegetables, making beverages or ice, or brushing teeth should be boiled for one minute

(Original Story)

The Black Mountain Irrigation District has issued a boil water notice for all users on the water system.

The district says that the notice was issued because of a malfunction of a valve regulating the flow of treated water into the distribution system from Mission Creek.

The failure is preventing the valve from opening sufficiently to meet the increased demand from warm temperatures and increasing seasonal demand.

To maintain water supply to the district it is necessary to bypass the water treatment plant and use untreated water directly from Mission Creek, the district says.

The water quality in Mission Creek is particularly poor right now due to spring runoff.

During a boil water notice, tap water used for drinking, brushing teeth, or rinsing ready-to-eat-foods should be brought to a rolling boil for one minute.

The boil water advisory is in effect until further notice. The location of the valve and the time it will take once it is repaired to refill reservoirs and flush out the distribution system with treated water will likely take about two weeks.