The City of West Kelowna, in consultation with Interior Health, has downgraded the Boil Water Notice for the Sunnyside/Pritchard System to a Water Quality Advisory due to decreasing turbidity in Okanagan Lake.
Although turbidity is decreasing, it remains higher than normal due to spring freshet and related conditions in the lake. Turbidity affects the performance of the chlorine disinfection process because bacteria, viruses and microorganisms can attach themselves to suspended particles in the turbid water. These particles can interfere with disinfection by shielding the microorganisms from the chlorine.
To determine if you are in the Sunnyside/Pritchard System, please view our Water Quality Map.
Under a Water Quality Advisory children, the elderly and people with weakened immunity must use water brought to a rolling boil for one minute or more, or seek an alternative safe source for brushing teeth, drinking, making baby formula and ice, preparing food and beverages and washing fruits and vegetables.
A safe source of water is available at the bulk filling station at Shannon Lake and Asquith Roads. The water is free throughout the duration of the Water Quality Advisory. Please bring clean bottles for filling. The tap is located on the Asquith Road side of the facility. In keeping with COVID-19 guidelines, crews installed a touch free system for filling bottles at the station. Also in keeping with health requirements during COVID-19, users should wash hands regularly, avoid touching their faces and maintain a safe social distance of two meters between themselves and all other users.
The bulk filling station receives water via the state-of-the-art Powers Creek Water Filtration Plant. The City is building a similar plant for the Sunnyside/Pritchard, West Kelowna Estates and Lakeview/Rose Valley Systems. Once the new Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant serves these systems, the treatment process will filter away the turbidity. Crews have broken ground on the plant site and anticipate commissioning the facility in summer 2022.
The Water Quality Advisory will remain in effect until further notice.