Water quality advisory remains in place for most of West Kelowna

The City of West Kelowna says it has received a high number of inquiries regarding the recent water quality advisory affecting approximately 11,000 customers.

Residents are being told that the advisory continues until further notice for customers on the Lakeview System. The advisory affects 4,000 connections in Lakeview Heights, Rose Valley, Boucherie Centre, Shannon Woods, Tallus Ridge and Shannon Lake.

Residents living in the Westbank, West Kelowna Estates, Pritchard and Sunnyside Water Systems are not affected. Neighbourhoods not affected by the Water Quality Advisory include Glenrosa, Westbank, Smith Creek, Gellatly, Green Bay, South Boucherie/Mission Hill/Sunnyside, Pritchard Drive/Jennings and Hitchner Roads, West Kelowna Estates/Bear Creek, Casa Loma and areas of Westside Road within the municipal boundary.

Due to higher than normal turbidity, it is recommended that children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems bring water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute, or use an alternate, safe source of water. People in these categories should boil water for uses such as drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables that are to be eaten raw, preparing food, mixing baby formula and making ice.

As turbidity increases, bacteria, viruses and microorganisms can attach themselves to the suspended particles in water. These particles can interfere with disinfection by shielding the microorganisms from the chlorine. Turbidity levels are constantly being observed by City of West Kelowna staff, through a remote monitoring system; the average turbidity remains at 1.3 NTUs.

Algae growth in Rose Valley Reservoir is greater than normal due to unusual weather this year, contributing to the higher turbidity levels. NTU levels have not been this high in the Lakeview System since 2008. To see the interactive map and detailed information about the water quality advisory, visit the City of West Kelowna website.