The Town of Osoyoos believes a power outage on February 10, 2024, led to the 340-booster station and other related hardware malfunctioning. This suspected incident led to the incapacitation of the backup battery power unit, resulting in the station shutting down and the main monitoring computer going offline. Consequently, the early warning system failed to register the issue. The Town’s Operators discovered this on Sunday and immediately initiated troubleshooting to restore functionality and repair any damage.
Due to the power outage, the Town believes the pressure in the 402-reservoir zone may have dropped below the minimum requirement of 20 psi. This situation could potentially lead to backflow and introduce bacteria into the water supply. Therefore, a boil water advisory was issued for the affected area as a precautionary measure and in line with standard practices.
The drop in reservoir levels stirred up settled particles, leading to a Town-wide Water Quality Advisory. Operators are actively flushing out the system and conducting necessary water quality tests. Once the Town receives negative results from the laboratory, we will be able to re-evaluate the water quality advisories.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time; the safety and quality of your water supply remain our top priority. If you have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Operational Services Department at 250.495.6213 or pubworks@osoyoos.ca.
This failure has resulted in the Town having to issue a BOIL WATER ADVISORY for the following areas:
Town of Osoyoos
South Rural Area
North Rural Area
Until notified, these users are advised to:
1. Bring water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute or
2. Use an alternate, safe source of water.
Notices are in the process of being provided to affected areas.
PLEASE NOTE:
As a precautionary measure, the Town of Osoyoos is also issuing a WATER QUALITY ADVISORY for the entire domestic water system to ensure users are aware of the potential for increased turbidity (brown and discoloured water).
The Operational Services Department is in the process of placing signs throughout the community as well as systematic water main flushing to address the discolouration.
Water quality sampling is being collected, and the results will be known by Friday this week. They will provide the necessary information to determine whether the notices can be lifted.
People with weakened immune systems and wishing additional protection should take precautions when drinking, washing fruits & vegetables, making beverages or ice, or brushing their teeth.
Check out www.drinkingwaterforeveryone.ca to learn more about water suppliers and current drinking water advisories.
We thank you for your understanding, and should you have any questions, please contact the Operational Services Department.