UPDATE: Interior Health reports the Shuswap Lake to be safe for use by the City of Salmon Arm.
"Given the location of this intake to the spill site, there is virtually no risk to health and safety of residents from this spill," Michaela Swan of Interior Health said in a press release.
The City of Salmon Arm has been forced to turn to an alternate water source after Shuswap Lake was likely contaminated with thousands of litres of glue and fuel products.
The Ministry of Environment and Interior Health (IH) are currently looking into the spill which happened north-east of the community of Canoe, near the shoreline of Canoe Forest Products.
They expect the lake was contaminated when run-off water was washed into it.
“As a precaution, the City of Salmon Arm has stopped use of their Shuswap Lake water intake and are using an alternate water intake source,” according to a release from IH.
IH is urging people to avoid recreational use of the water, including boating, fishing, and swimming, from 300 metres off the log booms at that part of the lake until they determine it is safe.
Residents who have private water sources that draw from that part of the lake are asked to avoid use of the water.
IH says they will continue to monitor the situation for health and safety of residents in the area.
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