The City of Kelowna has expanded the Water Quality Advisory

The Water Quality Advisory issued on May 15 for City Water Utility customers has now been expanded to include the customers serviced by the Swick Road water system.

The Water Quality Advisory alerts customers in the area of a modest health risk associated with consuming tap water. This is not a mandatory Boil Water Notice.

The customers serviced by the Swick Road water system include:

• 5851 – 5891 Lakeshore Road
• 167 – 180 Rimrock Road
• 164 – 168 Rimrock Court
• 100 – 186 Timberline Road
• 205 – 220 Ambridgefield Road

The advisory is due to elevated turbidity levels at the Swick Road water system caused by sediment material flowing into Okanagan Lake. The advisory will remain in effect for all City Water Utility Customers until further notice.

If directly consuming tap water, the following may wish to take additional precaution:

• People with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses
• People under 12 and over 65 years of age
• People wishing for additional protection

How to take precaution:

• Boil water for one minute and allow to cool before use
• Use an alternative water resource (bottled water)

Other than turbidity, there is no indication of chemical parameters that exceeded any health related concentration limits according to the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines.

Testing will continue on a frequent basis until it is determined that quality levels are well within Drinking Water and Interior Health guidelines. At that time Interior Health will determine whether the advisory can be lifted.

A number of Water Quality Advisories and Boil Water Notices are in place throughout the Central Okanagan. Residents are encouraged to check with their water service provider for the most up-to-date information. Residents who do not know who provides their water can type their address into the ‘Find Your Provider’ tool at kelowna.ca/water.

The City Water Utility water distribution system is currently working hard to deliver significant amounts of water to neighbourhoods as irrigation demands increase while balancing to minimize turbidity levels in the water system during the current Water Quality Advisory.