After a water main break Sunday afternoon, the City of Penticton has issued a boil water advisory for several square blocks of the city's downtown, along with a warning for surrounding areas.
 Map courtesy City of Penticton |
"After looking at the problem we realized there was good potential for cross contamination of the water line because there is a sewer main in the same area and it was compromised," said Len Robson, City of Penticton public works manager. "As a precaution we spoke with Interior Health and decided it was prudent to put a boil-water notice out for public safety."
He added more testing of the water, which is done at a Kelowna laboratory, is expected to take place Tuesday and results are likely to take two to three days.
City crews and equipment were on scene for several hours following a significant water main break at the intersection of Main Street and Wade Avenue in Downtown Penticton.
A temporary fix was done on the eight-inch main and water service was restored to everyone by 3 a.m. Monday.
Because of the unusual configuration of the main, which may have been installed as long ago as pre-1965, it's not known when permanent repairs will be made, however Robson indicated the work will likely be done overnight to lessen the impact on the public.
Residents must bring their water to a rapid, rolling boil for at least one minute prior to using it for domestic purposes, including drinking, making infant formula and juices, cooking, brushing teeth, washing raw foods and making ice. Alternatively, residents may use bottled water.
The boil water notice is effective for the municipal water supply, and the boundaries of the area affected include:
- west of Ellis Street and east of Winnipeg Street
- south of Westminster Avenue W and north of Padmore/Orchard
A water quality advisory is in effect for the municipal water supply for homes and businesses north of Eckhardt Avenue to Okanagan Lake.
This includes West Bench, and properties between the channel east to Haven Hill, Johnson Road, Farrell Street and Cambie Place. Those who are more at-risk (persons over 65 years, under 12 years, suffering from chronic illness or requiring additional protections) may wish to seek an alternate water source or undertake measures like boiling to protect their supply.
Regular updates will be posted to the City’s website at www.penticton.ca as more information is available.
Health information about illnesses related to contaminated water is available at www.healthlinkbc.ca. Individuals concerned about their personal health can speak with a HealthLink BC nurse by calling 811 at any time.